Never Forget the Simple Things
by XallmybishonenX
Summary: It's the college life for Sam Hart, but a certain fruitful change in her plans for the future lead to many mishaps. After she meets one Sohma Shigure, it's hard for her to imagine her life as being at least semi-normal! ShigureXOC
1. Two Too Many Cheeks

Disclaimer: I DO NOT and NEVER WILL own fruits baskets. I give full ownership rights to Natsuki Takaya. grudgingly hands over rights to her favorite bishi's to their creator However, I do own the OC's such as Tatsuya, Michi, Yumi, Sam, Katsuko, and all those other wonderfully randomly crazy characters. Oh, and I also own the best pair of vintage green vans. XD they're my favorite shoes, Vans rock!

Never Forget the Simple Things: Two Too Many Cheeks

"Sam, get over here!" A young girl with jet black hair and jade eyes perked up and looked around for the owner of the more than slightly annoyed voice. Her eyes settled upon a younger girl who also had this astonishingly black hair, but instead of jade orbs rested orbs of a mocha color. The smaller girl seemed easily excitable and a bit flustered at that particular moment. Her face carried the rosy tint of a peach's skin and she tapped her foot impatiently as she blew a lock of hair from her face. Sam, you can all safely assume that was the green-eyed girl's name, walked towards the little girl with a smile turning the corners of her lips.

She let out a loud laugh and said, "Don't have a cow Katsuko-chan." The little girl's cheeks took on the hue of a strawberry in her embarrassment. (A/N: Bear with me folks, pardon the fruit references, but they just spilled out. Also I will try my best not to interrupt the story too often.) This is all a shelf-restocker at a local supermarket could catch. He was very amused, but found he needed to get back to his work.

I looked down at my little sister and ruffled her hair a bit. I couldn't help it. Getting people riled up was just my typical Samantha Hart nature. Even poor little Katsuko-chan isn't safe from my wrath. (A/N: Sumi masen, but I really must remind you that the rest of the story is from Sam's POV from here on out. bows -; Believe me, this is the last you'll be hearing from me in a long time.) Although, she isn't really that little. If I can remember correctly, she's turning eleven soon. I know, lucky me getting shopping helper's duties. Eh, whatever, I'll just go over to the magazine stand. Sadly I didn't find anything interesting, but I found my consolation in a bottle of black nail polish. Looking down at my chipped finger nail polish, I knew it was time for a new bottle. Tossing it into a basket, I rummaged through the other necessities Katsuko had acquired. Basic necessities such as soba noodles, rice, tea, and dashi littered the bottom. We paid for the items and walked out to my car in silence.

I climbed into the driver's seat-well what could you expect? Katsu-chan can't drive. I have been a citizen of the driving population for five years, from when I was sixteen up until now when I'm twenty-one. Okay, so maybe I was often told not to drive, but being the opinionated little rebel I am, I couldn't exactly pass the opportunity to show this, now could I? Looking utterly disapproving, my sister turned on the radio. It was fine with me, I could be just as content letting my mind wander. Wait, scratch that; I looked dazedly out the window and slammed on the brakes. Katsuko was praying with her eyes shut tight. This made me want to laugh, but I contained myself. Poor kid, he had been through enough of my antics for today.

We had pulled into a parking lot so jammed with cars that it resembled many keyboards lined up. Tossing the keys to her I said, "Take these, lock up, only open for me, and I'm sure you know the drill kiddo." She complied, but begrudgingly did so since I had managed to slip in the word "kiddo" when I had addressed her. I had come to the shopping mall, it was Michi-chan's birthday soon and I was going to pick up a few things. The jean jacket that I had grabbed so quickly was soon thrown over my shoulders. Why had I chosen to wear that darn black tank top that day? Sure it was flattering to my already slender figure, but common sense should have ruled over vanity. Just as suspected, the stores were crowded. Luckily I was only picking up an online order. Walking along towards the doors with my "you better not try to get on my bad side buddy" pace, I made it through the throng of mindless shoppers easily. Never fails, I busted out the doors as the unusually cold summer winds nipped incessantly at my nose. I felt an odd burning tickle in my nose that meant I was going to sneeze. Instinctively, I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to hold my nose.

Before I had time to react, a bustling man had bowled me over. One of the cd covers shattered and lodged splinters of plastic into my skin. I muttered curses under my bread and turned to tell the man off. All I could manage was a breathless, "Watch where you're going you jack-" The man that stood, or rather sat, before me could only be described as drop-dead gorgeous. I've always been one for long-short hair and this seemed to be the guy that hand been haunting my dreams ever since I had gotten over the whole "cootie" thing.

He brushed a lock of that silky hair aside and replied, "G-g-gomen nasai-What's wrong with you?" Noticing that I still hadn't closed my gaping mouth, I closed it in vain for a smile had already crept onto his lips. Get a hold of yourself, time for a mental face slap. Apparently the dreamy voice and ferociously good looks didn't come with a humble personality. No, that would be asking for too much.

Instead he sneered at me and remarked, "I know it'll be hard for you to gain your wits about you on account of my stunning good looks, but we both probably have other things to do."

Gathering my words back from wherever this man had hidden them, I replied, "Don't flatter yourself." Who was I kidding? This guy was, to put it most accurately, hot! Curse this infernal heat that was making it its job to burn off my cheeks!

He laughed and said, "Two of your four cheeks beg to differ with that comment." Hah Mr. Smooth-talker! I only have two ch-ew! Pervert! Those cheeks should never be brought up in everyday conversation! Trying to make a run for it, I grabbed my things and walked off only to be yanked back to the ground by the painful grip of gravity. I winced and noticed my knee was far worse than I had expected.

Maybe I had misjudged this guy, for when he noticed my situation, he picked me up and said, "We'd better get Grace here over to the hospital." Okay, maybe I could have done without the sarcasm, but a start was a start.

Then it sunk into me, "Hold it right there! You can't take me to a hospital!"

"And just why is that?"

"I just hate hospitals, okay?" Call me whatever you please, but I just have a thing against hospitals. I mean, the concept of putting your life in the hands of someone you don't know is just, what's the word for it, uncomfortable?

He placed his index finger on my nose and said, "Lucky for you, I have a friend who's a doctor." I slapped the finger angrily away from my nose as he continued, "I'm Sohma Shigure, and you are?"

"Sam Hart, but my Japanese name is Takehara Miyeko." Sohma, the name seemed to ring a bell, ah yes, but it wasn't Sohma Shigure. Almost, yes I must emphasize that little word of almost, forgetting my hatred of the guy, I questioned, "Are you related to a Sohma Ayame?"

He looked at down at me with a puzzled look on his face and said, "Yes, but how do you know Aya-oh! You must be one of his customers." With that remark, he grabbed one of my breasts and squeezed it. At that moment I was too furious and dumbfounded to say anything, but he did. "They look and feel so real."

Slapping him I managed a, "That's because they are you idiot! My cousin took me to that shop once." I remembered the racks of questionable couture and the occasional elegant pieces that I had encountered on my visit. After my "little" outburst, I was panting slightly. We made it to his car and he drove me past a large estate. I loved watching the trees speed by. Everyone told me that it made them sick, but how could something so beautiful as trees make you revisit you last meal? We pulled into a drive attached to what I assumed to be his place of residence as I wondered how this guy had gotten his license. Sure I was bad, but he had to have been ten times worse than me and I wouldn't have been surprised if he had gotten his license from one of those "Driving for Imbeciles" books. He hoisted me bodily into his arms again and opened the door to house.

As he walked in, he yelled a hearty, "I'm home Tohru-kun!" A petite girl with dark brown hair emerged from the kitchen. Oh great, he had a girlfriend. What? Just because he's a creep doesn't mean he can't be a cute creep.

She looked down and as she noticed my bloody leg, her face took on a pale shade. "Blood! Food! What do I do? Food's going to burn!"

Shigure laughed and said, "Don't fret my little flower. Just call Ha-san for me please." She apparently obliged, but I couldn't tell because I was being whisked off into another room. He dropped me on a bed and left the room; he was probably off to properly greet that airhead of a girlfriend. Just after this thought, I was distracted by a ring. I grabbed my phone and answered with my usual cheerful, "Moshi, moshi."

I was immediately blasted by Katsu-chan's irritated, "Mi-ye-ko Ta-ke-ha-ra!" Oh great, she brought in my real name. Yep, she usually called me Sam, but when she was mad at me it was like when your parents add your middle name in. For some reason everybody just found it difficult to say my real name when I was an exchange student in America.

Rubbing my head nervously, I realized why she had called and answered, "Call Michi-ko and ask her to come pick you up. Tell her that I'm busy and to call me after she drops you off."

After that, I ended the call and heard two pairs of feet walking towards the door. Shigure opened the door and was accompanied by a man that definitely looked the part of a doctor. He held a syringe in his hand and before you could say, "He's got a syringe and he's not afraid to use it!"-Okay, bad example but you get the point. He was a speedy little bugger- it was injecting something into my arm. My vision started to blur and I muttered a muffled, "You son of a biscuit." Of course I couldn't remember anything since I had blacked out. As soon as I woke up, my leg was bandaged. But how could I see my leg? I was expecting a pair of blood-crusted, dull green cargoes. Somehow I had found my way into a schoolgirl's uniform. It seemed so wrong on so many different perverted sicko levels. What was he doing with this uniform? That was explained when Tohru walked in wearing an identical uniform.

"Oh good, you're up Takehara-senpai. I made you some tea so that you can calm yourself." Girl, you couldn't drug me up enough to calm me down.

"Thanks, so where are the others?"

She put a hand up to her mouth as if remembering something and replied, "You're right, I was supposed to tell Hatori-san when you woke up." She rushed out of the room as I took a sip of the tea. Soon the doctor I had only the chance to catch a glimpse of before had come into the room. Instinctively, I backed as far away from him as I possibly could in the mess of bed sheets. Looking at him, I had the time to analyze him. He seemed indifferent to the world; it's as if he had gone through a great deal of trouble in his life. A sympathetic smile had somehow relieved the distrusting scowl from its duties on my face. He brushed some hair to the side of his face and just started to talk to me.

"Shigure did quite a number on you, so you'll have to come back for daily examinations so I can make sure everything heals up as it should. I knocked you out because it would have been excruciatingly painful if I had pulled out each of the pieces of plastic while you were awake." Wow, you sure don't sugarcoat it now, do ya doc? "We had to throw your clothes because they were too bloody and beyond either Honda-kun or Ayame's help." Oh no he didn't! Never throw out a girl's favorite clothes! Another man with long silver hair rushed in at Hatori-san's last comment.

He put his hand on my cheek and said, "You have a wonderful complexion. I'll make you something to compensate for the outfit that Tori-san and Gure so inconsiderately trashed." He put my hand in his-wow he had soft skin-and lightly kissed the top of it. I couldn't help myself from blushing as both of them left.

A little later, I heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was Tohru, I said, "Come in, its open." Surprised by the tall form of Shigure instead of Tohru's petite one, I pulled the covers up further over me. The disgusted scowl once again took lodge upon my lips and I said in as nasty a tone as I could muster, "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

He replied with an uncaring, "Nice to see you too. Hatori-san says you should probably stay here for the night. Just so he can keep an eye on how you're doing. He was certain that I could convince you to and I said 'fat chance,' but he forced me to come here." I glared at him and his usage of the fact that he had been "forced" to convince me then called Yumi-chan.

As I heard Yumi's familiar laugh I said, "Is it okay if you pretend that I'm over at your dorm? I'm at another friend's house and I don't want Katsu-chan duties."

The laughter had faded from her voice and she replied uncertainly, "Sure, Whatever you say Miye-chan."

Trying to sound as if nothing was wrong, I said a little overenthusiastically, "Domo! See you later Yumi-chan!" Then it was time to take care of my mother. I was sure that I was in for a lecture for leaving Katsuko in a car at the mall.

"Takehara residence. May I ask who is calling?"

"Hey mom, it's me. I'm going to Yumi-ko's to work on Michi-ko's party. Just telling you so you won't bring Katsu-chan over to my dorm for me to baby sit." This had brought about the long lecture that I had been expecting and after many "yes mom"s and "uh-huh"s, I hung up the phone with a sigh. Just as I had, a redheaded boy came flying into Shigure, creating a new door in the room. This wasn't the strange part though. Shigure had been pushed towards me. In place of my dream hunk, there sat a shaggy dog. I truly am a dog person, but this was just too weird. Thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me again, I closed the deceitful emerald orbs and massaged my temples. When I opened them back up, there stood the same black canine. But this was not to last. A few seconds later, there seemed to be a small explosion and a nude Shigure in my lap. Maybe I'm bad when it comes to dealing with surprise, but who wouldn't faint when a man turns into a dog then back into a man in your lap? Not to mention the fact that he was wearing less clothing than Britney Spears!

I don't know how long I was unconscious for, but when I regained consciousness, there he lay, asleep in a chair. A kimono lay at the foot of the bed. Hoping it was for me, I took off the uniform and folded it neatly and put the small pile on another chair. It was so quiet, wait, too quiet! Shigure had been snoring when I first awoke. Forgetting my own nudity, I ran over to him and punched him in the face screaming a blood curdling, "Pervert!" My scream had probably awakened every living creature in the house, for soon I heard feet rushing towards my room. Hastily, throwing on the kimono, I opened the door and was met by three out of breath teenagers.

Tohru looked at me and gasped out, "What's…wrong…Takehara-senpai?"

I looked back in my room at the now cursing Shigure and smiled at Tohru, a boy like the silver haired man only with violet eyes, and the surly redhead from earlier today and said, "Gomen nasai. Must have had a bad dream. I'm sorry for alarming you all." Bowing politely, I closed the door and went to take care of the real problem.

He was rubbing his cheek as he whispered a whiny, "That really hurt! You know, you shouldn't hurt the guy who saved your life!"

Furious with his lack of ability to address the real problem, I whispered, "Cut the act Shigure. I know you weren't asleep! You're such a perverted, I don't eve know what you are anymore!" He looked away and replied matter-of-factly, "It was just retribution. You saw all of me; so naturally, I get to see all of you.

I slapped him again for good measure and said, "Oh this is hardly the same thing. By the way, I'm out of here dog-boy. Then I'm going to the police so they can find out whatever you are!" Grabbing what remained of my belongings, I started walking off but was stopped as he grabbed my arm. "Let me go I-" I started to say. His face seemed scared and he put a finger to my mouth to silence me. Those chocolate brown eyes were usually shining with a bright fire, but now they seemed to be dull and weary.

He smiled and said, "Please don't. I probably deserve it, but can you find it within yourself to take pity and just stay and keep this all to yourself?" My own fire seemed to shrink to ashes and more than anything, I just felt like lunging at him and kissing the saddened man. Instead, I only nodded and lay down in bed as I had been before. Shifting in my covers, I heard him go back to his chair and not so silently fall asleep. Part of me was supremely creeped out, but the other, more foolish, part of me wished he would still be there when I woke up the next morning. Sleep pulled teasingly down on my eyelids and I obliged only too willingly.

People say that your dreams mean things. What kind of crackpot wrote a book on that? Of course they do, they show what your heart ultimately desires but what you're mind will not consciously accept. Why else would they call the goals you spend most of your life pursuing your dreams? Now comes the relevance. I had a dream about actually living in Shigure's house. Yeah, so what? Well, it makes me think about what it's going to be like once I no longer have the excuses to come here. Will I still want to come, or will they even want me to want to come? More importantly, why was I thinking about this when I barely knew them? Maybe it was because of the whole curse thing. I had been informed when I woke up to a sleeping Shigure in a chair that the whole Sohma family was cursed and turned into the certain animal of the zodiac that's spirit had possessed that certain person when embraced by another person of the opposite gender.

My jumbled thoughts were interrupted by the smell of miso in the morning. It had been such a long time since I had had the time to eat breakfast. Now I'm not talking about those little toaster pastries, they're so good, but death to your thighs! I had to admit, Tohru would make someone a very good wife. I thought wistfully, someday she would, but I still had time to intervene before it was that someday. Perhaps I was jealous and acting stupid considering that I was older than she and should be expected to control my emotions for a guy better, but something had forced her to grow up so fast and she wasn't a teenager. She was like me only different; where I had life and gusto, she had empty happiness. The longer I watched the dynamics of this household the more I figured out; I learned that Tohru-chan's suitors were Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun. She was more of a little sister to Shigure. Besides, he's twenty-seven and she's nearly ten years younger than he. Quickly finishing my soup, I grabbed what remained of my possessions and bowed to Tohru-chan with a quick, "Domo."

-smiles- So this is it. Hope you like it so far. Gomen if it seems to go really tediously slow or something of the sort. I really had to introduce the characters, so this first chapter will be a little uneventful in my opinion. You may think differently, but if you do happen to be bored with it, bear with me and don't condemn my work. Hopefully I can get to updating it often, but I do have a busy life. (Including trying to get an online manga up and running) Ja ne and before I forget, next chapter, we should have some visitors. Or so I'm hoping


	2. The Sweet Taste of Spring Cherries

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or anything relating to it, besides the fanfics that I write about it. However, as I had promised, we do have some fruity guests with us . Welcome Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori. As they are my favorite characters from Fruits Basket, they will be aiding me in relating this story.

Ayame: How did you like Ki-chan's first installment of Never Forget the Simple Things?

Kitone: Yes, by the way, you can now quickly refer to it as NFtST. It makes my typing go a bit faster, and any help is appreciated.

Shigure: Yours truly really doubts your novelizing skills Ki-chan.

Kitone-.0; So says the man who uses the word "novelizing." Where the hell did that come from?

Ayame: Ki-chan! Watch your language, there are children out there!

Kitone: Argh! That's why I made my fic rated as PG-13. If people have problems with me saying hell, then they should deal with it and work on getting more mature.

Hatori: May I interject? The use of swear words doesn't characterize maturity Kitone-san.

Kitone: Eck! I wasn't saying that it did! I merely meant that if they can't respect the way a person speaks, then they should be more mature instead of saying, "Oh, mommy, the bad lady on the internet swore!" –stops being so tense- Why am I yelling at you guys? I absolutely love you all! Well, until next time, Kitone signing out! Oh, and please do review. Reviews make me write better…or so I hope. I dunno, just review please .-

Never Forget the Simple Things: The Sweet Taste of Spring Cherries

I called Michi-chan remembering that I had no means of transportation to, well, anywhere. "Michi-san speaking." Why was she so informal?

"Hey Michi-ko! Do you think you can come pick me up and take me to my car?"

Apparently she wasn't as concerned as Yumi-chan about the 'why,' but this was what I liked about her. She would listen to me without any doubt in me. I heard a muffled, "Hai," as she undoubtedly searched for her car keys. After quick directions, she was there and ushering me into her own car and asking, "So would it be terribly out of line for me to ask why I have to fetch you and your car like a dog?" I cringed involuntarily ant her choice of words. Do best friends have E.S.P. or did was this just extremely coincidental?

I shrugged and replied, "Trying to get out of Katsuko-chan duties." It was the best reason I could think of. I mean it wouldn't have been the first time. Once when she was really little I gave her a bunch of carnival tickets so she could go on the little kiddie rides. I told her I was going to the bathroom, but I was really going on other rides with my friends. They little kid freaked out as soon as it got remotely dark and I had to buy her a bag of popcorn, a bag of cotton candy, and a stuffed tiger just so she wouldn't tell our parents. Isn't blackmailing a sin? Well I had no choice at that point so I gave her that idiotic tiger. Don't get me wrong though, I love the little runt, but I know that both of us would rather hang out with our own friends. Michi-chan and I parted ways and I drove dazedly to my own dorm and almost didn't realize that I had arrived.

What was I doing? Placing so much trust in people I barely knew and keeping the ones who knew me best in the dark was not what I would call ethical. The unsure void within me ravaged over this self-conflict and reveled in the weariness that kept it going. After I changed into my work uniform, a simple black skirt that fell to my knees and a white t-shirt with the words Sanzo Sushi on the back, I pulled on my tennis shoes. (A/N: Sorry if that really is a restaurant, it was just a name that popped into my head.) When I arrived at work, I was promptly greeted by Yumi-chan, Michi-chan, and Tatsuya-kun. Yumi-chan is a perky girl who's never heard the expression that, in effect, means too much pink. Michi-chan has been my best friend forever. We listen to the same types of music and tell each other everything. Tatsuya-kun is like the annoying, whiny brother that I never had. No, he really isn't that bad and we've known each other since we could talk so he feels like he's a brother. He pretends like he doesn't, but he does look after me which can sometimes be annoying. Eck! He's wearing too much gel again. Grabbing a cup of water, I poured it on his head and wiped the gel away much to his protest. I can't really explain it, but gel-free hair just seems to suit him better.

"Konbanwa. I'm Miyeko," it's funny how it's just as hard for Japanese people to say Sam as it is for Americans to say Miyeko, "and I'll be your server tonight. Tonight's specials can be found on that board located near the bar. I'll be back in a few minutes with water to take your order." The rest of the night followed in pretty much the same patter with the exception of the usual restaurant mishaps.

Enter Yumi-chan: "So, what is it about this mysterious air that you've got about you?" I swear Mich-ko has scarily good hearing. She was across the room and next to me, ready to interrogate, as soon as Yumi-chan's words had left her mouth. Coming over to see what the whole huddling thing was about, Tatsuya gazed at me intent on being filled in on what he had missed. So much pressure, I couldn't help but crack. It wasn't fair to keep them in the shadows of my life even if it were easier not to tell them.

I shrugged after finishing relating the details of my fun-filled adventure, of course minus the curse details. A few pairs of chopsticks dropped miscellaneous pieces of food with dull plops and splatters. Tatsuya-kun seemed as if he couldn't believe that I had spent the whole night in the house of a man I didn't know. Michi-ko was disappointed that I had not brought her with me and Yumi-chan was still digesting the whole of it. I picked up an apple and dipped it into soy sauce; Yumi-ko was the first to say anything, "I swear Sam, how can you eat that?" I shrugged my shoulders and popped the last bit into my mouth with a rather loud crunch in response.

Now that the awkward silence had been lifted, Michi-ko interjected, "So, what's he like? Are you going to see him again? Does he have any cute friends? Will you take me to meet him and said cute friends?"

I couldn't help stifling a laugh and replied, trying to remember the order of all her questions, "I don't know much about him yet. I have to go back to get a check up on my leg, so yes I will go back. He has a few and one's even a doctor. The other one owns a store that I went to once with Keigo-san. If you really want to go, I guess they wouldn't mind."

Then it was Tatsu-kun's turn. He looked at us and sighed, "I'm not going to leave you two alone with a bunch of guys. I guess I'm going as well."

I hugged him and chirped a delighted, "Aw, that's so sweet! You want to protect us Tatsu-kun!"

He flicked me on the nose and said, "Then who will protect them from you?"

I gave him an indignant pout, but ruffled his hair soon later with a smile. Yumi nodded her head and said, "You need someone there to keep you all in line. Perhaps I should tag along as well." I ran to grab all of our jackets and my purse as well as Yumi-ko's and Michi-ko's as well.

Then I tossed each their belongings and said, "We'll take my car. It's got a full tank of gas and well, quite frankly I am the best driver." I laughed at my comment as I received many eye rolls as Michi-chan grabbed my keys out of my hands. The drive was short and was spent talking about the tips we had earned and the normal kinds of gossip. We arrived back at the house and it was just how I had left it, at least on the outside. I knocked on the door and was met by Tohru-chan's smiling face. I bowed and said, "Sumi masen, but my friends decided they wanted to come as well." I pointed at my waving friends and said, "They wanted to make sure I was acceptable."

Tatsuya-kun barged through the door and said, "So where is this Shigure person anyways?"

Shigure looked up from the table and said, "Exactly who would like to know and why? Did my editor send you?"

I ran behind and grabbed Tatsuya's hand and said, "Hey Shigure, this is my friend Higoshi Tatsuya." Michi-chan and Yumi-chan had followed me in to restrain Tatsuya and I continued, "These are my other friends Asano Michi and Kotara Yumi."

As expected, Michi-ko turned to me and whispered, "He isn't that good looking." I promptly nudged her as she continued with an even quieter voice, "Now, that guy with the white and black hair is gorgeous." I looked to where she was pointing and saw her point, but also noticed that he was someone I had not met before. He seemed to be around Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki's age, but he was very cool, calm, and collected.

I blushed a bit and said, "Sorry, it seems we have interrupted your dinner. Nice to meet you all," I said as I hinted in the direction of the white-haired boy, a girl hugging (it looked more like a mix between a hug and a headlock) Kyo, and an awfully cute little boy. I sat down in an empty room with Michi-ko, Yumi-ko, and Tatsuya-kun. Tatsuya-kun was mumbling something under his breath that sounded a great deal like, 'you won't be so lucky next time punk' while the others stayed quiet. As much as I tried to inspire friendship between Yumi and Michi, they didn't really seem to like each other. Yumi-ko was just a little too prissy for Michi-ko's liking and the fact that Michi-ko spent much of her time pointing this out angered Yumi-ko. I usually didn't pay to the two since I just knew that they disliked each other, but my mind often wanders as soon as it has the silence to do so.

However, very little time was spent in this silence. Apparently they had been nearly finished with their dinner and a few early finishers filtered into the room with us. The little blonde haired boy came in and sat on my lap. Then he cried out, "Are you going to marry Shii-chan?" I gasped a little slightly taken aback as he added, "Oh, and my name is Sohma Momiji."

I smiled down at him and said, "No Momiji-kun. He and I are just friends. And besides, Shigure-san doesn't like me in that way. We only met a little while ago."

Tatsuya-kun was mumbling yet again and, from what I could make out, was saying, "Yeah, just friends…only met him a day ago…she really knows how to sugarcoat it."

In my anger I grabbed onto Tatsuya-kun's arm and dug my fingernails into his skin. I smiled sweetly and said, "What was it you were trying to say Tatsu-kun?"

He gritted his teeth, whether in pain or anger with me I don't know, and said with an obviously forced grin, "Nothing Miyeko-san," and resumed mumbling now a clear, 'crazy girl. I swear if that kid weren't here right now…'

Momiji-kun laughed and said, "You're so funny Tatsuya-san."

I laughed as well and said, "You don't know the half of it Momiji-kun." Then I added with a look in Tatsuya's direction, "When we were little, Tatsu-kun, over there, used to play dress up with me and Michi-chan when we were little. He made a cute little girl." Momiji started laughing and fell out of my lap onto the couch. He shot a glare over at me and stood up and balled his fists. I scoffed in his direction, got off of the couch, and said, "What're ya gonna do? Huh Tatsu-chan?" He looked like he was going to punch me, but I knew that he wouldn't. Tatsuya-kun just has this weird thing about not hitting me. I hit him often and he just never hits me. "Can't punch me can you? Come on, I can take it. Just release all of your anger."

I was interrupted as Shigure walked in and cleared his throat. Then he said, "Am I interrupting something?"

I blinked dumbstruck and said, "Gomen nasai. I was just telling Momiji-kun about myself and well, got a little carried away." He laughed and it made me want to comb my fingers through his hair, but I was beaten to the act by Ayame-san.

He ran his longer than average fingernails through Shigure's hair as he slightly whined, "Oh Gure-san, isn't young love so precious? Reminds me of our first little quarrels." This supremely freaked out Tatsuya-kun and his jaw dropped down. I couldn't help but look slightly downcast and Ayame-san noticed this. He looked inquisitively at me and asked, "Do you feel quite well Miye-chan?"

I smiled in his direction as he walked towards me and picked up my chin in his hand. Then he said, "I'm sure it's nothing a little kiss won't help." He gave me a little peck on the lips and licked his own lips and said, "Your lips taste like cherries in the spring."

I stepped back and said, "Ayame-san, you are only too kind." Then I blushed and heard Shigure's bark of a laugh as Tatsuya-kun had grabbed Ayame-san's shirt collar and was gritting his teeth. I punched Tatsuya in the stomach, which made him let go of Ayame-san. Then I said, "At least he knows how to compliment someone. I can't say the same for a certain angry idiot."

Ayame-san laughed and said, "You're right Gure-san. This one sure does know how to tame a fiery spirit. Maybe we should leave her in a room with my dear brother and little Kyonkichi." I laughed as a bickering Yuki and Kyo came into the room. Soon the white and black haired boy came into the room looking rather indifferent. The two girls were missing. Noticing this, I asked, "So where are Tohru-chan and that other little girl? When will Hatori-sama be here to check up on my leg? Do you guys have to go soon Michi-ko, Yumi-ko, Tatsu-kun?"

Ayame answered the first part with a, "Kagura-chan and Tohru-kun are in the kitchen washing the dishes and Tori-san will be here soon. He just called saying that he had just finished up his work in the office and was about to straighten his office up a bit before he left."

All my friends shook their heads no and Michi-ko said, "We'll wait for you Sam."

I laughed and said, "Well, we might as well have some fun while we wait for Hatori-sama. Anyone up for a little game I like to call Blackjack?" Pulling out a deck of cards, I brought out a bag of sugar stars as well. Betting makes the whole game worthwhile. Perhaps encouraging gambling wasn't the most kosher thing for someone like me to do, but hey, I'm still a kid too. After doling out an equal amount of candy to each player-Michi, Yumi, Tatsuya, Shigure, Ayame, Yuki, Kyo, Momiji, and Hatsuharu (yes, I learned his name)-I quickly handed out two cards to each person including myself. Yeah, ever heard of something called beginners luck? Well apparently, it was favoring Momiji. He easily swept us all out. I still say he was bluffing; no one could play that well for their first time. Hatori finally arrived at which point he unwrapped my bandages. I winced a little as he poured some hydrogen peroxide, I can't believe doctors still use that stuff, on the still open cuts.

Ayame looked at Shigure and said, "Gure-san, you really do need to pay more attention to where you are going. The poor girl is still bleeding you klutzy inu." Shigure let out a bark-like laugh as I waited for Hatori to bandage up my afflictions, but there was no way he could do that. I still couldn't quash the little green monster inside that wanted to beat Ayame-san to a pulp. But how could I think of such things? Ayame-san had been nothing but nice to me, and yet the more than friendly vibes emitting from the two were only feeding the once little green monster.

"Aaya, you know that I'm clumsy. Think of last night," retorted Shigure with another laugh.

"How could I forget Gure-san. You had me up all night," was Ayame-san's response.

I watched Tatsuya on the couch squirming uneasily and couldn't help but laugh. Kyo and Yuki were glaring at the two older men and Tohru-chan blushed madly. Hatori-sama shook his head in what seemed to be disapproval and I asked politely, "Is something the matter Hatori-sama? You look like you have a headache or something. Have you been overexposed to loud noises?"

He continued to shake his head as he answered, "It's overexposure to those two. I swear, your little jokes have gone on for too many years. It's a wonder how I can have stood through it all for these oh so long years." They were just friends? Wow, that was a relief. It was just a joke and had always been one from the start.

Shigure and Ayame seemed taken aback, but Ayame was the first to voice his opinions, "Tori-san! You must admit that you have some sort of feelings for us to have stayed our friend for so long. I mean, not to be putting myself or Shigure down, but it is hard to be with one for such a long time when one does not have feelings for the other parties."

I laughed and said, "Well, I wouldn't want to intrude or wear out my welcome, so I think I'll leave now. You guys coming?" Dusting myself off, I stood up and bowed politely. Then I made to grab my bag and coat when Shigure grabbed my arm.

"Hold on Miyeko-san. Tori-san has to go over a few things before we let you go." He winked and I knew he had something else in mind.

Thankfully, Tatsu-kun looked thoroughly peeved. His ill temper made what I was about to do so much more easy. Smiling with a hint of mock forgetfulness, I said, "I almost forgot Shigure-san. Would you guys mind if we stayed a bit longer? You know what? Maybe you should all just go back to your dorms. I'm sure Hatori-sama could drive me back. Don't worry about me. Seriously, it is getting pretty late." That acting in middle school had surely paid off. They fell for the bait hook, line, and sinker. Of course, Tatsuya's frequent mumbling of, "Why did we come here in the first place?" really helped hasten Michi-chan and Yumi-chan as well.

I put my things back down and said, "From that wink you gave me, I can only imagine the reason why you kept me here. I mean, I can't believe that you got them with that obviously phony front. Luckily, my acting skills haven't grown too rusty."


	3. Bittersweet Beer 'n Green Vans

hits self on head- Kitone here and yeah, I forgot to add a disclaimer for last chapter, but you all know, I don't own Fruits Basket, but I do own the OC's….yeah the creamy OC goodness. My friend says that she likes the OC's more than the real characters (when I writ about them), but that's probably just because Mi-chan (Michi) is semi-based on her. Well, back to it all.

0o0o0o(divider if I do happen to use them, usually just to separate my messages0o0o0o

Never Forget the Simple Things: Bittersweet Beer 'n Green Vans

Leading me to another room he said, "Well, I guess I just wanted to talk. Maybe I could find out a little more about you. I'm sure Tohru-kun will brew us up some coffee. It's been such a long time since someone has learned the secret of the Sohma family."

I accepted this answer, but only because I'm pretty sure Michi-chan had also picked out Shigure's wink and probably wanted to know all the details of my night's escapades. Smiling reminiscently I said, "Coffee would be nice. Talking is something I do best so you've got my attention. This wouldn't be a date, would it? Not that I would want it to be a date. I mean my life is already screwed up enough as it is and-yeah."

He laughed at my nervous rambling and yelled, "Tohru-kun, could you make a pot of coffee and bring it to my room?" then continued in a softer voice, "No, it's not a date and it seems like we're in for a long night if your life is as messed up as you seem to believe. Perhaps I can get a story out of it, the master novelist that I am, I'm sure it won't be a problem. Do you smoke?" He put on a pair of reading glasses and pulled out a pen and paper. Then he pulled out a couple of cigarettes. One was lit and put into his mouth, the other was offered to me.

Grabbing the cigarette, I put it in my mouth and lit the cancer stick. Then I said, "I didn't know that you were a writer. I always expected you to be I dunno, something else. Did you know that smoking is bad for you and doctors know it? Yet, many of the doctors you see do smoke. They're like walking hypocrites. Might as well walk around with 'do as I say, not as I do' signs on them. Please do be patient with me. Sometimes I can rant along and not notice I'm doing so until I bore even myself."

We both took long drags from the cigarettes and he laughed. I guess my ability to rant was funny, but had he heard of anything called decency? I glared at him then he said, "You're so interesting. Maybe I'm just craving for a new inspiration for my story or perhaps I'm just leading myself into a place that I can't escape from. Something about you just fascinates me. Please do continue."

Oh my god! He could be so sweet and charming just like Ayame-san. I couldn't believe this was the same Shigure and the heat crept into my cheeks once again. Blinking a few times I was left speechless but eventually spluttered out, "I-I-I guess what I w-w-wa-want to say is th-th-thanks. I'm very flattered and all, I suppose, and if you really do want to hear more I guess I could tell you. Are you really sure? I mean I think I'm going to go get some sake. You have some don't you? Or beer, yeah, beer would be good right about now." I looked down at the coffee in my hands and suddenly had the feeling that it wasn't going to help calm my nerves. It wasn't that I liked to drink beer; it's just that anything to give an excuse for me to not concentrate. I walked down to the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator and pulled out two beers. Then I closed the door shut and heaved a huge sigh. It was so hard not to just collapse and faint, but I walked back to the room and offered him a beer with a smile.

He accepted it with a smile as well and then asked, "So, what is it that makes you, Takehara Miyeko, tick? You're different in some way; I can't explain it, but perhaps I could call it a little too aware of your own shortcomings. You may accept them, but part of you knows you're only masking up the imperfections to try and feel better about yourself. Now I'm not saying that you feel bad about yourself, but you know that you can never pretend that everything is okay. I'm also guessing that you've tried before and it didn't quite work out as you had hoped or planned. Am I hitting something close to home?" He cocked an eyebrow and continued to stare at me inquisitively over the top of his glasses.

I laughed and looked down at the bottle resting in my hands. Then I looked at my legs; one was bent with my foot resting on the bed and the other hung limply towards the ground. Regaining some semblance of composure, I looked at him and said, "You barely know me and yet you do know me in ways that I don't even know about myself. I guess deep down I do know about these things, but they aren't things I'm willing to admit to myself yet. Maybe it's because I try to be too obvious. Ever since, ever since, well what you said was true. It hurts so badly to pretend to be someone you're not really certain you are."

Writing a few things down, he said, "You underestimate yourself. The only reason I know this is because I, as a writer, am honed to pick up on the slight subtleties that cloud one's eyes. Simply put, I read people just as plainly as people can read my books. 'Tis my gift Miyeko-san. But do finish what you were saying."

A tear slipped down my face and then I said, "Ever since I was little, my friends have basically been a constant in my life. But more than anyone, Tatsu-kun was always there for me. From when I was a little toddler in the sandbox to now, he has been there to help me onto my feet. Somewhere along the line though, I began to love him, not like him. I could never tell anyone except Michi-chan, but even then I would lie and pretend that I had loved him and didn't anymore. Then one day, she told him that I had liked him at one point and there still is a little bit of static between us. But I knew he didn't care for me the same way I did for him and there was nothing I could do. Just like everyone, I wanted to hate him and pretend it was all just a fluke, but that would be denying a part of me that will always exist no matter what. Now he's just a brother again, but the thought of the fact that there was at one point something more makes me wonder if maybe it still is how I feel."

He watched me take a sip from the bottle and said, "I didn't mean to make you cry. Maybe I'm being too rude and invasive I just-"

Putting up a finger to silence him I smiled and said with a slight laugh in my voice, "It's okay Shigure-san. Please, please just listen to me for now. It's nice to have someone to listen to you. Sometimes it's easier to tell someone who doesn't know you that well about things that hurt you. I can't explain it, but can you do me that favor?" He nodded as I continued, "Michi-chan didn't mean to make me feel that way or change the way Tatsuya-kun and I felt about each other. She thought it was all just fun. I can't say I blame her. She probably thought she was helping me get over some things in my life, but there are some things that should stay buried deep within the eye of the beholder. That was one of those things. Most of the time I don't even realize or know what I'm doing yet I find myself hiding and wondering why."

A tear found its way into my beer bottle. It tasted different. Maybe it was just my imagination, but Shigure commented, "Bittersweet isn't it Miyeko-san. Everything in life is delicate no matter how solid or constant it may seem to you. Things just aren't what they seem sometimes and it keeps you on your toes all the time. There isn't anything that can console you it seems when you're on that point breaking solidity and you can't help it." Now, I'm not the most forward person usually, but I somehow found myself leaning towards him. He was looking away and didn't notice my advance and even I wasn't sure why I was doing it. Maybe it was something akin to breaking solidity, but it didn't matter at that point. Nothing seemed to matter ever. Everything just disappeared and the walls spun around so quickly, that at one point, it could become unnerving.

Before my mind could catch up, I said, "Shigure-san." He turned and I kissed him as soon as his head had fallen into place. Some could have blamed it on the alcohol, but I can only admit that I liked him. No, I couldn't exactly say I loved him yet. Love requires two parties feeling the same passion for each other. The kind of passion that makes you pretend you're asleep just so you can revel in the warmth of another is special and it hurts to breathe. At some point I had put my hands behind his neck. Then he wrapped his arms around my waist, although it was not an embrace, and it became more than a kiss. It was…it was that kind of passion that hurts. I pulled away from the kiss and panted slightly. Then I put my fingers in my hair and said, "I'm sorry. I-I-I-I wasn't thinking straight. I get drunk really easily. Do you think you could drive me home? Um, I have to get to sleep, yeah." I grabbed my things and walked out the door of the room where I had let myself get sucked into something uncontrollable.

Then he stood up as well and said, "Yeah, I mean I can drive you home. That is if you wouldn't mind. It is pretty late and you're pretty drunk I think." We both laughed nervously and walked into the car. The drive was relatively quiet save the uncomfortable direction giving and the even fewer failed attempts to say anything. We walked up to my apartment that was customarily too messy. In fact, there were still a few unopened moving boxes from when I had moved in a few years before. It was the only normalcy that I had experienced that day and it drew me in so forcefully that I didn't notice Shigure leaving. I plopped down on my bed and touched my lips. They were soft and slightly wet as they should have been, but something was different. It felt like a piece of them was missing, a part that would never be back, a cherry had been stolen from the branches of the tree. (A/N: For it to sound sweet, you all have to understand that I meant the piece of the lip hasn't literally been brutally cut off. It's only metaphorically speaking kids.) The kiss was different. There were sweet little I-had-a-great-evening kisses, nice-to-see-you-too kisses, and so many others, but that one had been special. It was a please-never-leave-me kiss.

Everyone says, "I'll sleep on it," but sleeping never makes anything go away or even help you to cope with something. In my case, it only seemed to worsen my condition. I couldn't tell myself it was all a dream because I plainly knew that it had been way more than a dream. I took a pain reliever to get rid of the headache that had accompanied my extreme hangover and thought about everything that had happened. Once I was satisfied to be dissatisfied, I made my way over to Michi-ko's dorm. It was just as messy if not messier than mine and it made me laugh. She walked up to me and handed me a bottle of water. I guess she could tell that I had a long story to tell and was getting ready to listen. We sat down on her couch and I began my story, "I know that you were expecting this Michi-ko, I could tell that you saw him wink. Anyways, he did have a lame cover story and……………………. It was a real kiss. Not the kind that we got from our prom dates; it was the kind of kiss that begs you not to let go. And I'm supremely, utterly, can't think straight confused. What do you think?" I finished my story and looked at her through helpless eyes.

She mouthed a few words as she searched for the right thing to say. I guess it was just as hard to give advice as it was to get the strength to ask for it. While she continued to start and stop repeatedly, I played with the shoelaces of my green Vans. They were my favorite tennis shoes. They were well worn in and everything about them was "cool" and they reminded me of my time spent in America. Finally, she said, "Miye-chan, there are just some things that you have to figure out yourself. I know it sounds like some superly crappy advice, but it really seems the only thing that I can tell ya right now. If you like him, then you should just tell him and stop acting like we're still in junior high."

I laughed and replied, "I guess you're right. I just can't tell him anything yet. I'm pretty sure he doesn't feel the same way for me anyways. Probably just pity that was heavy with drunkenness too. We were both pretty drunk."

We both sat in silence for a little while and then got ready to get to work. Summer was great, but having to work pretty much the whole time was not. At least I got to spend the hours of demanding customers with my friends. I feel like I'm more than one person; the person I'm expected to be, the one I've been practically all of my life, and the person who's ready to throw all that away, forget everything that makes me, me. But that's the problem. I guess I have this golden rule: Never forget the simple things in life. Never forget what makes life living. Never forget the ones who will always have your back. Those truly are the things that make you who you are and to leave them to rot would be killing all that you were and can be. It doesn't mean that you have to stay the same, but you always have to remember to stay true to what you know is the right thing for you.

Seeing that it was getting later and business was running slow I said, "I'm going to go take a break. You guys gonna be able to hold down the fort."

Michi-chan and Yumi-chan yelled back, "Hai Miyeko. I think we're overstaffed tonight anyways."

Jumping at their obvious misuse of words I replied, "Great. I guess that means I can leave now, I'm pretty sure that I'm late for my doctor's appointment. You guys are great; make sure to lock up the cash register before you leave and bring some food to my dorm for me please. Thanks again, ja ne!" I tossed the restaurant keys to a dumbfounded Yumi-ko and ran out to my car before anyone had the chance to stop me. Some songs accompanied the drive over, but nothing was going to distract me from my game plan. I had to get there and out just like going to a super sale at Abercrombie and Fitch. Grabbing all of my things and sighing, I lit a cigarette and walked briskly towards the door of the now familiar Sohma residence. I took a few nervous drags from the cigarette and was met by the violet eyes of Yuki-kun. Smiling nervously I asked, "Is Hatori-sama here yet Yuki-kun? Not to sound impatient, but I have to go soon."

He let me in and replied, "Shigure-san didn't tell you that Hatori-san wanted you to go to his office from now on. He said he didn't have time to fix all of Shigure's mistakes and come to his house to do so."

I put my cigarette in a nearby ashtray and asked half-jokingly, "Does Hatori-sama also deal with psychological mistakes caused by Shigure-san Yuki-kun?" He cocked an eyebrow at me inquisitively and I added a, "I'm just trying to crack a joke. Never really was one to cause random outbursts of laughter, purposely that is." Then I set my bag on a nearby table and waited for Shigure. Or at least that's why I thought Yuki had gone away. The truth was plain and simple though. I knew very well that Shigure had created a big Godzilla sized psyche problem for me. My thoughts were interrupted by the man, himself, entering the room.

He couldn't quite meet my eyes and said, "Are you ready to go see Hatori-san Takehara-san? I'll go drive you to his office." Please don't do that Shigure. Don't try to forget; I've told you it doesn't work, so please don't act so damn formal. It took all I had to not cry, but smile in mock politeness. If nobody else was home I probably would have lost it and jumped on him strangling him asking him undecipherable questions. In my mind I was doing that, but just walked towards the open door. He motioned me towards the car that had become so well known to me in the past week or so.

I got my seatbelt on and asked, "So where is Hatori-sama's office anyways Shigure?" This was an all out war. It was a war of the wills; would I crack before he did or would he stop trying to pretend? I really wasn't sure, but I was going to do everything within my power to win. There was nothing that could stop me from figuring our situation out. That was all you could call it right now, a situation.

0o0o0o

So, questions, comments, concerns? Send 'em all to me. Yeah. I think I can take the flames. I'm a bit of a pyro myself, but not too much where I'm arsonist material. We'll have more fun with the Madubachi Trio next chapter I think. I hope I feel up to it. They're kinda harsh . Kitone-san out for this capter.


	4. Who's That Sitting in an Old Oak Tree, K...

Disclaimer: I so wish I didn't have to write this everytime. Yes, I do not and never will own Fruits Basket -rolls eyes-

Kitone-san here and yeah, it's been a while since I last updated. Sorry folks, but I'm currently working on developing my online manga a bit more. On top of that, I think I'm going to write another fic as well. Let the Rain Fall Up. What do you think? It's an interesting title. Anyway, as I promised, I think I have a few guests again.

Shigure: I have arrived. -shakes a bottle of sake- Hope you don't mind if I -hic- start to drink this?

Kitone: Start? I think you've gone way past start Shi-chan.

Hartori: -rolls eyes- I think Aaya got into the liquor as well. -points at Aaya as he staggers into the room-

Aaya: Developed, smeveloped! I want you and Matoko-chan to finish that up. It's really annoying that you two are still working on character bios. I mean, come on.

Shigure: Speaking of developed -walks behind Kitone- Ki-chan doesn't seem to have developed well around the chest area.

Kitone: -looks shocked-

Ayame: But Gure-chan, don't you like your partners to be flat-chested?

Shigure: Hai, you know me too well, or at least you know my bed too well. -exchanges thumbs up with Aaya-

Kitone: -jaw drops in horror-

Hatori: Well, as we wait for her to recover from the shocking effects of alcoholism, why don't we start this story?

0o0o0o0

Never Forget the Simple Things: Who's That Sitting in an Old Oak Tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G?

We drove along the road in the setting sun. I loved summer; it was rarely dark and carried a slightly less than comfortable warmth with it. Then he answered, "It's at the Sohma main house Takehara-san. We should be there soon." He kept on looking at the road stretched out in front of him and then turned at a stop sign. I don't know how long we kept driving for because, as I have stated before, I let my mind wander off often and this was one of those cases. Before I knew it, we were parked in front of a large estate. I stepped out of the car and followed him towards what I guessed was Hatori-sama's office. Shigure opened the door and walked inside. It was a little dark for my tastes, but then again, even the remotest sign of darkness is too dark for me. The darkness makes me feel drowsy unless it's really, really dark. Never could understand what that was about, but it just was.

In front of me, I saw a desk and Hatori-sama occupying that desk. He didn't look up at me, I guess he was too busy taking care of his other work, but just pointed me in the direction of an examination room. Then he added monotonously, "Just sit on the table and I'll be with you shortly." I nodded not knowing what else to do and obliged.

True to his word, he came into the room soon after I had, white lab coat and all. He began to take of the bandages and I asked, "Why do people pretend that nothing happened when they're confused about things Hatori-sama? I've done it before and learned not to because it never works, yet for some reason, even when someone has gone through the pain, they keep on pretending like there was no pain to begin with?" I felt like a little kid asking a stupid question about feelings like the one I had just asked, but I needed someone's opinion and I was sure Hatori would give me a good one.

He cleaned off the wound and answered, "Takehara-san, I'm not a psychologist, but I would only guess that people think that no matter how much it pained them to pretend, it would be nothing in comparison to the pain they would feel if they committed to what they truly felt. Furthermore, it truly is easier to put up a façade than to be as you truly are. It isn't a matter of how much it hurts; it's a matter of countless intricacies that relate to a decision. For example, some people take into account what they think is best for other people. It may not always be the right choice, but it's the person's to make alone nonetheless."

Eck! So cryptic! I understood what it meant and what he was truly telling me, but why couldn't he just have said the part about the repercussions of a certain decision? Letting go of all of my complaints, I actually thought about what he had told me. It all made sense and he was right. You can never know if you're making the right choice or thinking about yourself and that's the best choice you can make. Truthfully, I was ignoring what had happened between Shigure and I rather than trying to come up with some kind of rhyme or reason to the events. I smiled and said, "Thank you for everything Hatori-sama." Then I kissed him on the cheek and said, "I always wished I had an older brother like you."

Jumping off the table, I walked out to Shigure and said, "I don't know what I'm doing right now so just bear with me and don't try to run away. No, I mean I really have no clue what I'm doing right now, but I'm promising myself that I won't regret anything I do now. Quite frankly I don't care if you regret every single thing relating to this and I'm ranting again so I'll try to make it short and sweet. I like you Shigure. I can't say I love you because love means that two people feel the same passion for each other. It's the kind of passion that makes you look at that person and wish that you could live forever just to see them every morning. It's the kind of passion that makes you love everything that person does even if it annoys you because if they weren't like that, they wouldn't be that person you love. Do you understand what I mean? Really, I don't care if you understand what I mean because I'm out of here." I laughed and yelled to Hatori, "See you tomorrow Hatori-sama." Then I started walking towards my dorms feeling all too proud of myself and what I had said.

Wait why was I walking? You have to be kidding me! My car and my bag were still at Shigure's house? Mentally crying, I walked towards Shigure's house and hoped that he had stayed behind to talk to Hatori for a long time. That way I could get in and out unnoticed. Maybe I was running away from the problem now, but you can only do so much at a time. Change takes time and training and I hadn't had much of either. I arrived at the house and saw his car in the driveway. I shouted out too many curses to list and rung the doorbell hoping that it would be anyone but Shigure. It had to have been my lucky day because Kyo-kun had answered the door and he gave me my bag without question. I could tell he was wondering why I didn't come back with Shigure, but he just shrugged his shoulders and closed the door as I walked towards my car.

I drove back home breaking so many speed laws, but I didn't care. I felt like I was floating in the air and somehow found my way back to the ground as I went over to Michi-chan's dorm room. I was smiling when she opened the door and she cocked an eyebrow at me. Then she said, "That's your I just told somebody off face. That was an easy one, we've been friends forever and considering you tell somebody off every hour, it's really all too familiar." She laughed and handed me a takeout container and a pair of chopsticks. I grabbed a bottle of ramune and sat down at what seemed to be the kitchen table.

I broke apart the cheap chopsticks and threw away the paper that had the restaurant logo on it and opened the box. After eating a few bites without a word, she hit me and I choked out, "Okay, okay. I take it that means out with it you dope. You better not have left us all at work alone without having an amazingly juicy story. Do I not know you?" She nodded yes and I continued, "Well, I went to get my cuts all cleaned and such like usual, but Hatori-sama had us come to his office this time. He gave me the best advice ever and I realized that I had been pretending too and needed to stop. I walked out and gave Shigure a piece of my mind. I was caught in a rush and I can't quite remember what I said. It was something about love and what it meant to me, but I'm pretty sure that he got the message. As soon as I come down from this high, I'm going to throw all of what I've been eating up I'm sure."

I looked down at my food and was suddenly full. Michi-ko laughed and said, "You better not throw up on my rug."

I retorted, "There is no rug to throw up on. All that's here are old newspapers, empty bottles, and old junk mail."

She slapped the back of my head. I winced and rubbed the spot tenderly. Then she looked up towards the ceiling and said, "Good for you. I told you getting things off your chest always is the better way out. Even though it may be harder, you'll never have regrets or shoulda-woulda-couldas. Man, I wish you had remembered that line, I'm sure it probably sounded very shojo." (Miyeko/N: Michi-ko and I always did like to relate things to manga. It was something we both really liked and plus it's easier to relate things to than coffee which we also both liked.)

Laughing, I said, "Well thanks for bringing me back a bite. I think I'm gonna go to sleep before everything that happened today catches up with me. See you tomorrow morning? Wanna go to the bookstore to check out new cds and stuff like that? Well, I think it's coming up, so see you tomorrow morning." I walked to my own dorm a few doors down and walked in. Sleep felt good and I awoke the next morning to find that I really didn't regret all that I had done and said. It had been liberating and didn't need to be taken back. As I had promised, I walked to Michi-chan's apartment the next morning and knocked on the door ready to go to the book store. Yep, nothing fancy, a pair of jeans with holes ripped in the knees and an off the shoulder t-shirt that read in green lettering 'Society Tanks' and I was ready to go find some music. She opened the door and quickly grabbed her purse. We ran down to her car and drove to the bookstore.

You would think we were little kids in a candy store. (A/N: It's an overused expression, I know, but you can never have too much of a good thing. -) We browsed the aisles as if we had never seen such a magnificent sight as a bookstore. I grabbed a few magazines with juicy headlines, the kind that give celebrities new identities, and tossed some of the cds that I has wanted into a little basket. Then I traveled over to the manga section and tossed in a few books as well. Musing over my selections, I saw Michi-ko out of the corner of my eye and asked idly, "Mi-chan, why is it that everything in a manga can seem so perfect? Nothing looks as it should in mangas and people don't go through the real issues in life. Everything is about people who have been told to smile by a dying person. Why can't anything be about what love really means or what the simple pleasures in life should, but never, mean to us?"

She laughed and said, "Seems like someone is being serious for once today. I dunno Miye-chan. I guess reality sucks in comparison to fictional situations. There is no truly happy ending to life. That's not what I mean. I mean when I rule the world, everyone will have to be happy…"

I smiled and said, "You're right Michi. I guess no one is really ready for the factual truth. We all think we know what it will be, but there is no way to ever tell. Anyways, you would be a sucky ruler. The whole planet would turn into a wasteland. Have you seen your room? I mean, I thought I was bad but your room is breeding bacteria that hasn't even been discovered yet!"

She punched me in the shoulder and said, "Well at least you're back to cracking jokes. That's a good sign. Doctors, we haven't lost her to the blubbering of lost love!" Then she leaned closer to me and said, "We haven't lost you yet, have we?"

I laughed and started to cry a little. Then I said, "Nah, not yet. Aw…. I can't keep going there. Even the slightest chance that I could see him keeps me holding my breath constantly. Well, soon my leg will be all better I think. It seems to have scabbed over. Anyways, I think I'll schedule a physical with Hatori-sama later today. I know that it doesn't seem like moving on, but Hatori-sama really is an exceptional doctor. Now that I think of it, that sleeping injection didn't hurt a bit…" I put a finger to my lip and thought about it a bit teasingly.

Michi looked at me disapprovingly and said, "You never told me anything about a sleeping injection! What really happened that night you spent at Shigure-san's house? Oh, no you didn't, did you Miyeko?" She suddenly seemed even more disapproving and I couldn't help but start to laugh.

Through my laughter, I managed to say, "You worry too much Michi-ko. I would never do something that foolish. I mean, maybe there was that one time I started a fight with that lady in the movie theaters, but that doesn't make me a slut who would sleep with a guy I barely knew. Seriously, you have nothing to worry about. Besides, he may turn out to not be such a bad guy." Then I quieted my laughter and thought about it. Not only was it physically impossible, but I really wasn't that careless. We paid for what we had in our baskets and drove back to our dorms. This time we settled on talking in my abode. It was much cleaner and besides, it had more food to grab and start shoving into your mouth.

I went to grab some Calpico and a bag of chips in the kitchen. Shutting the refrigerator door with my foot and putting the bag into my mouth, I walked towards the couch that Michi-chan had settled into. She didn't look up at me but instead said as she read, "Let me guess. You haven't said anything in the past few seconds, which means something is physically stopping you from talking. Since on the whole ride over your stomach was gurgling I can tell that you are hungry and so I'm gonna guess you're too lazy to take multiple trips and you have a bag of fried fat clenched in your teeth."

She made me laugh. Dropping the bag of chips on the couch I said, "It's crazy how you know me so well."

Flipping the pages, she answered, "You don't ever shut up. It's hard not to know you that well. Besides, if you haven't noticed, you fall into systems often."

Shrugging my shoulders, I popped open the soft drink and took a sip. It reminded me of the night that Shigure and I had talked. I yawned a fake yawn and said, "Sorry Mi-chan. I'm really tired. You can leave whenever you want, but I think I better get some sleep before I go to my appointment. Don't want any accidents now, do we?"

She didn't look up from her book and said, "Yeah, the teasing is getting real old real fast. Sure, I don't mind. I'll let myself out. I have a spare key anyways. Get some rest Miye-chan."

I stretched my arms over my head and let out another yawn for good measure. Then I opened the door to my surprisingly clean room-hey, I can stand a living in a messy house, but I can't stand sleeping in a messy room-and plopped on top of the bed. Sighing, I pulled out my cd player and listened to some music. It got real boring real fast and I soon fell asleep. Waking up with a start, I looked around for the clock. I wasn't planning on falling asleep and I had to get to work in five minutes! Groaning as I ran out of my bed and hurriedly tossing on my clothes, I ran to grab my purse and into my Lexus. The ignition wouldn't start, but I managed to get it running after a few trials. "Agh! As if I weren't already late enough!" As soon as I was less than satisfactorily parked, I ran into the restaurant and said, "Sorry I'm la-a-a-a-te. I must not have gotten enough sleep because it looks like Yumi-chan and Tatsu-kun kissing in the back room.

I rubbed my eyes and pinched myself until I was bruised in multiple places. My mouth hung wide open and all I could do was put a hand over the still gaping hole. They closed the door to the storage room clumsily and Michi looked at me asking, "Are you okay Miyeko? Pluto to Miye-chan. I would say Earth of Miye-chan, but you're way past Earth. Really though, you look like you've seen a ghost."

Smiling I said with a false tone of happiness, "Gomen Mi-chan. I think I have to go wash my face. I'm still a little sleepy." Turning away from her I laughed and walked as fast as I could to the bathroom. The water was cold, crisp and only added to the numbness I was feeling. I finally knew why mangas dealt with people smiling to cover up their real feelings. Sighing and wiping up one last tear, I walked out to face the cruel, crushing thing that was my new reality. For the remainder of the night, I busied myself with seemingly useless tasks. But they weren't useless at all, to me it seemed that the longer I cleaned clean tables and changed channels on the television set to what they currently were, I could avoid making contact with anyone. Everyone left and I was left sitting at the bar with my things in my hands. I locked up the restaurant. Tears streaked down my cheeks and the little wells that clouded my vision were blurred with the ethereal glow of flashing neon signs. I walked into my car and started the engine and just started driving.

Somehow I had made my way to Shigure's house and I walked towards the door still in a state of exhaustion; it wasn't real exhaustion, it was the emotional type. The cold bit at my tear-stained cheeks and I knocked on the door as silently as I could. If this were real, I didn't want to be rude and wake everyone up from their bliss. Sleep was always a blissful kind of thing. Even if your dreams were bad, it wouldn't be real and that would be a relief. No, I couldn't take that away from anyone now that I had lost that bliss and knew what I was missing for that matter. A disheveled author with his glasses askew, kimono loose around the shoulders, and heavy eyelids interrupted my thoughts. I started crying and said, "I broke." (A/N: Refer to Bittersweet Beer and Green Vans. It's about the conversation between Miye-chan and Gure-san.)

I'm sure he didn't understand what I had said, but he ushered me into the warm house nonetheless. Mmm…I could still smell the faint tint of what Tohru-chan had last made for dinner and a familiar peach kimono that I had once used before. Maybe now this was my only familiarity and I clung to it as I always was apt to resist the new. However, Shigure had been different. The first time I met him, it hadn't taken too much to get used to. Okay, so the circumstances were different, but I still just wanted to be there with him and only him. He rubbed my back and made soft shushing noises. It made me feel like a baby and surprisingly at that point I didn't mind. I stopped sobbing and he stopped shushing. We remained silent that way and motionless save his rubbing.

I leaned my head on his shoulder and soon started drifting downwards. My head finally landed in his lap and I fell asleep as a few stray strands of hair floated down through the air with the characteristic laziness of a feather. Heavy breathing followed me into my slumber and he ran his fingers through my hair, as I slept, with a little smile on his face. Yet there was something else akin to worry in his eyes. (A/N: Yes, this is from my PoV. Miye-chan can't see Gure-san in her sleep.)

The next morning, I awoke to the gentle movements of a furry inu's stomach and wrapped my arms around him. I felt him stir and I thought how much this must be confusing him and decided I would explain everything to my savior as soon as I could. He licked my face and I just stroked his furry coat. It was soothing I suppose and I looked at the clock. The ticking time keeper read eleven in the morning and I didn't really mind if I didn't get anything done today. In fact, I didn't really feel like going to work today. Just thinking about it brought a sting to my eyes, but I kept myself from letting the tears pour. As I was petting the dog beside me, I heard a poof and quickly withdrew my hand. I turned towards the door and said, "Thank you Shigure. I'm not sure I can tell you anything yet besides that I can't tell you anything yet."

I heard the swoosh of cloth being swung in the air and a fully clothed Shigure sat next to me. He put his hands on my shoulders and kissed me on the cheek. Maybe he already knew why I was there. I wouldn't be able to know even if I cared to know. But being just there with someone who cared was good enough for me. Walking into the bathroom, I washed my face again and smoothed my hair down as best I could. Then I went to the kitchen to see few plates hastily abandoned in an attempt to make it to school on time. I smiled and remembered when I had been in highschool. Mi-chan, Yumi-chan, Tatsu-kun, and I always would walk to school with each other. Yumi-chan would walk in a straight line, rarely interrupted, and so would Tatsu-kun. Mi-chan and I would look at anything and everything that caught our attention. If we found ourselves bored, we would mess around with Tatsuya-kun's hair.

The memory brought more laughs. I don't know why I laughed instead of cried. It was like going to a funeral and not being able to do anything but laugh. It was like being devoid of feeling and you know it isn't right, but you can't help doing it. I sat down on the floor with my legs tucked under me. Shigure brought a cup of tea which I accepted with a smile. He busied himself with cleaning up a bit after Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, and Tohru-chan. With a grin he interrupted the now awkward silence with, "Those kids. I'll bet that Kyo made the mistake of picking a fight with Yuki this morning. Tohru probably tried to stop them and found that she didn't have time to wash the dishes because of the incident."

I took a noisy sip of the tea and said, "It seems like the fun never ends around here."

He let out his bark-like laugh and responded, "Ever since Tohru-kun has been here, it does seem that way. Ever since you came here, every day seems to hold a surprise. To what do I owe this slightly less than joyful arrival when you've been upset with me for so long?"

I wasn't upset with him, just confused. Maybe I was ready to tell him. Searching for the words to describe how I was feeling was difficult and seemingly hopeless. A few starts of words came out on my mouth, but only ended in "W-, u-, m-, s-," and other failed attempts at forming words. He turned off the faucet and rested his head on mine. Not that I wasn't enjoying his affection, but it all seemed a little strange. I jerked away and said, "I can't. I mean you can't. I mean don't you feel weird about me just coming out of the blue to be with you after my big speech at Hatori's office? Besides, I can't because I'm just too hurt right now." A tear slipped down my cheek to join the ocean of fallen tears that I had cried recently. That had been the first time so far I had admitted anything about what I had seen.

Looking slightly taken aback, he said, "I guess so, but you just seemed so hurt. I don't know what got into me. Everytime I'm around you, it's hard for me to know exactly what to do. You're like a timebomb just about to tick its last second, and I mean that in the least offensive way as possible."

I laughed a little and started to leave a steady stream of tears running down my face. Then I looked up at the ceiling, not knowing what else to do and tried to start talking. Once I was satisfied with what I was about to say, I looked at him and started to talk, "I said that I broke and I meant it. You remember what we said when we were talking, really talking for the first time? The night that I kissed you, we talked about me." He nodded his head and I continued, "Well, I was running late to work yesterday and I came in and I saw-," I let out a sigh, "I saw them kissing."

Shigure cocked his head to the side and asked tentatively, "You saw who kissing?"

I pushed myself to answer him, I truly did, but saying it would be admitting to myself that it had happened. There would be no going back. I gulped and answered, "Tatsuya-kun and Yumi-san." My familiarity had vanished with them. They had broken it anyways. The walls that I had sheltered myself with were slowly disappearing and I was scared. Shigure looked confused for a second, trying to remember what had exactly been said that night, and he seemed to understand. His eyebrows were no longer furrowed in concentration and I only hoped that he noticed details in the way that I moved like I did notice him. Carrying on, I spoke with a little waver in my voice, "I think I'm being selfish. I mean, just because he knows I like or liked him, doesn't mean he has to hold out and wait for himself to feel the same way for me. But, it doesn't make it hurt less to know I'm wrong. I don't blame her because I can't blame her. Just because she was there and they both felt the same way about each other, doesn't mean I should begrudge them."

I couldn't use their names. It was like I didn't know them anymore and for some reason it didn't hurt me to let them go. A few memories seemed to flash by just as they would whenever solidity had been broken. His face smiled back at me and at some point I guess I said, "Ja matane." Shigure looked at me dumbfoundedly and I simply said, "I have to let them go." Then I shook my head and said, "No, I can't forget them ever. Things about them, the simple things, I can't forget them. I can't deny all that I know and I can't deny all that I am. I just don't know what to do anymore."

Shigure looked at me and said, "Well, I'm willing to be someone to help you if you would only let me."

I smiled and said, "Domo Shigure. Thanks for understanding. Well, I better go and I dunno, do something to get my mind off what has happened."

He led me towards the door and said, "Well, if you feel up to it, Tohru-kun is going to make a big dinner for everyone. Not much of an occasion to celebrate, but she often insists on having many of the Sohma's over for dinner."


	5. Metaphoric Speed Bump

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own Fruits Basket. Don't you ever get tired of hearing that? I surely get tired of saying it. But I feel obligated to do so.

Sorry guys. Since it seems that I do have loyal followers, I'm just telling you that it may be a while until I make my next update. This is the last "finished" chapter that I've written. It takes me quite a bit of time to actually get a good string of events out on a piece of paper. -; Damn my short attention span! Oh well. Until my next post, buh bye. I may even start another fic in the middle of this one. It would probably be a good idea. I mean it could keep you guys appetite manageable until I finish a few more chapters of NFtST. In fact, I think I'll start working on that right now. Sayonara and don't forget to review! Kitone-san

0o0o0o0

Never Forget the Simple Things: Metaphoric Speed Bump

I accepted the invitation and said, "That would be-nice." Then I got into my car and drove to my dormitory. There were a few messages on my machine and I hit the button to play them. The first message was from Mi-chan.

"Ohayoo Miye-chan. Whatcha doing today? It's about 9:30 and I guess I just wanted to see if you wanted to come with me to the movies or something like that."

"Ohayoo Miyeko. Are you okay? You just seemed a little off at work yesterday and, well, usually I can't get you or Michi to stop messing around with my hair. I swear-" I deleted the message angrily and waited for one from Yumi-san, but instead, Ayame-san's bubbly voice filled every corner of my once silent room. "Mi-ye-ko-chan! Konichiwa! I just finished your outfit and well, call back and make an appointment with my assistant." I laughed and picked up the phone. Dialing the numbers left tones ringing in my ears until someone picked up on the other end.

"Ayame's, may I help you?" The woman sounded equally as effervescent as Ayame-san.

I couldn't help myself from laughing as I responded, "Hello, this is Takehara Miyeko. Ayame-san told me to make an appointment to pick somethings up."

She also laughed and said, "Oh, it's the famous Takehara-san. Boss is always talking about what to make for you and he finally figured it out. How about tomorrow at 10:00?"

I cocked an eyebrow and answered, "Sure, but why so early?"

She replied with a simple, "You'll see. When Boss gets something in his head, well then, it's a bit hard to dissuade him."

"Well, thank you. I'll make sure to mark my calendar and tell Ayame-san thank you for me." I hung up the phone and decided I would go over to see if Michi-ko was still in her dorm. There wouldn't be any problems there. It would be normalcy I suppose. Turning the doorknob, I tsked under my breath and called out, "Mi-chan! You really should be more careful."

She looked up at me from her desk. Her computer was on and she was evidentally checking her email. Then she said, "The door? Aw, I figured you would be here soon. I heard screeching tires in the parking lot."

"Hardy har har. Anyways, you doing anything tonight?"

"Nah, just me, Johnny Depp, and a bowl of popcorn. You?"

"Shigure invited me over to dinner. He said Tohru-kun was going to cook a big meal for a lot of the Sohma's. You want to come?"

"I would, hey, what were you doing over at Shigure-san's? And I can't, I asked Yumi and Tatsu to join me."

I looked at the floor at the mention of their names and I said, "Well, there's something I wanted to mention to you about them."

At that point, Tatsuya-kun came in and said, "You know Michi-ko, you really should be more careful. I swear this place is a pigsty!"

I smiled at Michi-chan and said, "Well, I better go pick up a few things at the market. Can't go over there empty handed, it would be terribly rude." Then I hurried out the door.

"'Kay Miye-chan. See you soon I guess."

I waved to Tatsuya-kun as I left and went to my own room a few doors down. Quickly grabbing my purse and a pair of nicer shoes, I tossed on a light jacket and screeched away in my car. It's amazing that I don't go through tires faster. I mean, I wear them down so badly screeching in and out of parking lots like that. I got to the store and bought a nicer bottle of wine. I figured it was an appropriate gift. If Shigure, Ayame-san, or Hatori-sama didn't drink it, Tohru-chan would cook with it. Then I grabbed a few boxes of candy for the kids and settled on driving over to see Hatori-sama. He would probably get mad at me, but ever since my leg had pretty much healed up, I had missed him and his stoicness.

Jumping in my car, I resolutely nodded and drove off towards the Sohma Estate. Finding Hatori-sama's office surprisingly easily, I pushed open the door and walked into the waiting room. I sat in a seat and read a magazine. It wasn't long before Doctor Hatori was walking out of an examination room and, for once, showing emotion. I guess it wasn't every day that a girl you didn't know all that terribly well came into your office and surprise visited you. I laughed at him and said, "Relax, I'm just here for the company I guess you could say."

He brushed some hair angrily out of his face and said, "Which one of them sent you and why?"

With a look of utter disbelief, I stated, "May I not come and visit my Onii-chan figure just to say hi? And what about 'those two?' If you mean me and me, I suppose that would make you right."

"You sound exactly like Ayame when you say that Miyeko-san. Are you sure you're feeling quite alright?"

"Well, now that's where we hit a little metaphorical speed bump. I'm not okay and I was hoping you could give me some advice."

I looked pitifully desperate and he lit a cigarette and said, "Whatever, but make it quick. I need to do some work."

I smiled and clapped my hands together. Then I said, "That's why you're my onii-chan! Always so busy and always making time for me when you can. Well, you see, I found two of my friends making out in the storage room of the restaurant I work in the other day. One of them I liked at one point and well, I suppose at the time of my discovery I still liked him. As you can imagine, this is really confusing me and well, I don't know what to do. Shigure is just making it even more confusing because I like him too and I'm pretty sure he isn't sure about how he feels about me either. I'm just in one big, fat, juicy pickle." I finished what I was saying and sighed.

He took the cigarette out of his mouth and said, "Well first of all, you're clearly in denial about your feelings. You sound like some idiot from a kid's cartoon show. Second of all, have you told anyone closer to you about your feelings? It's good to get the opinion of someone who knows you well and knows the other parties well, as well. And lastly, if you and Shigure are both confused, then maybe you should just try and clear the air. Talk to him, and believe me, that's not something I usually recommend to people."

I kissed him on the cheek and said, "You're the best onii-chan. I guess I'll just have to talk to get everything straightened out. You think I could help you with anything? I just want to stay with you for a while. When I'm here with you, I feel like I can tell you anything and get an answer that will make everything right." I felt a little childish, but Hatori-sama always made me feel like that. He was so mature and I wasn't, but that was okay. It wasn't embarrassing because he tolerated me.

He sighed and smiled a little (OMG! I didn't mean that, Tori-chan should never smile, but too late, I don't know how to fix it so it doesn't sound butched) as he said, "Just stay out here. I guess you could check the magazines and throw any out that are from last year. I won't be here too much longer. Momiji, Hatsuharu, and I are going over to Shigure's house for dinner."

I jumped a little out of happiness and busied myself with looking through the magazines. I think I did more reading than sorting. Hatori-sama really needed to get another subscription to an entertainment magazine. Soon the clock hit six and Hatori-sama drove me to Shigure's house along with Momiji and Hatusharu. I was hugged by Momiji-kun and he promptly turned into a white rabbit. "Kawaii! Momiji-kun is so kawaii!" He poofed back and I turned around as he dressed.

He smiled and formally greeted me, "Konbanwa Miyeko-san. You're coming with us to Shii-chan's to eat Tohru's cooking?"

"Hai. I can't wait. Shigure invited me earlier today."

"Why were you at Shii-chan's house today? He hasn't been talking about you lately, everytime we mention you, he kind of trails off into another direction."

Hatsuharu put his hands behind his head and said, "The birds and the bees Momiji, the birds and the bees."

I smiled and touched the tip of Momiji's nose. Then I said, "It's nothing Momiji-chan. I just was talking to Shigure-san about adult things. I'm just a little confused and I think Shigure was for a little while too." The rest of the drive over was uneventful. We got to the house and I rang the doorbell.

"Oya sumi nasai Tohru-chan. Just thought you could use this for cooking sometimes." I handed the bottle to her and set the boxes of candies out on the table. Momiji-chan grabbed one excitedly and popped it in his mouth. Hatsuharu-kun grabbed a sucker and stuck it in his mouth while Kisa-chan, a cute little girl I had just met, grabbed a chocolate tentatively. I couldn't help but grin as I watched her smile at Tohru-chan. It seems that everyone had someone that looked up to them. Ayame-san walked in with his usual dramatics and held up a few bottles of sake. When he asked me if I wanted some, I accepted whole-heartedly and joined Tohru-chan in the kitchen. She couldn't have been that much younger than me, but she seemed like a daughter to me. I smiled and said, "So, what possessed you to invite all these people over and decide to cook all by yourself. That's unheard of and won't be tolerated."

I laughed a little and grabbed a bamboo mat to make some sushi. She smiled back at me and said, "Arigato Miyeko-sama. I really never thought it that much of a hassle, but it's very nice of you to think of me." I plopped some rice in the seaweed and added some cucumber to the mix as well.

Then I responded, "So, what's a girl like you doing in the kitchen all the time? All this work should be left to people like me who have run through their potential. Anyways, there seem to be a couple of guys who wouldn't mind taking you somewhere sometime."

She blushed a little and looked at the chicken she was cutting. Then she said, "Oh, you sell yourself short Miyeko-sama, and besides, I wish I could do more for Shigure-san for letting me live here. You wouldn't mean Kyo-kun or Yuki-kun, would you? They just view me like a little sister. They couldn't like me that way."

I sweatdropped and said, "Shigure is inadvertently sending you through a guilt trip. Maybe it isn't inadvertently either. I think I'll talk to him and yes I mean Yuki-kun and Kyo-kun. Honey, if you've got 'em, don't lose your chance to some hussy who couldn't care less about them besides the fact that they're good looking. Believe me, I've seen it happen."

She looked slightly confused and said, "Miyeko-senpai, have you ever loved someone?"

I looked off into space with a slight flush in my cheeks and I smiled as I reminisced. Trying to choose my words carefully, I decided on using my usual love speech. "Tohru-chan, I can't ever say that I have. If I had, then you would see a big, fat ring sitting on my finger right now. I've liked people before, but I haven't loved; those two things are completely different and require different feelings. There are sweet, innocent I'd-like-to-know-more-about-you kisses and nothing-is-right-without-you-kisses. Love requires two people to have the same kind of passion for each other. That passion runs deep in your veins and is a rich elixir that can never be diluted. Love makes you wonder if you can breathe when you're not near that person just because they are the one you think about above all else. Sure you still have friends that you feel the same way about sometimes, the being afraid to leave them part, but it's different. It's a subtle difference that screams in your head when you can't say what it is."

She teared a little and said, "You seem like you have been through a tough love-life. I don't want to seem selfish, but why don't you stay here with Shigure-san? Don't you feel that way for him? It just seems that you come back here for a reason and I know he has feelings for you too. I just think that from what you say, it would be best for both of you."

I laughed and said, "Selfish? You? Never. I can't stay here though. I do like him and wish I could love him, but as I said, love has to be something mutually shared between two people. You may be right that he has feelings for me, but they aren't feelings deep enough for me to say that I love him and he loves me. Do you get what I'm saying? Well, anyways, I'm gonna go tell everyone dinner's almost ready. Besides, I'm just a kid myself. You shouldn't be listening to my banter and taking it seriously." She smiled back at me as Tohru-chan only could and nodded her head as I padded off into another room. Hosting so many New Years celebrations in my own family, I knew how to handle the vast quantities of people.

I entered a rather stuffy front room and said, "Dinner's ready. Tohru-chan told me to come get everyone before the food gets cold." A mad rush, which could only be described as a stampede, whisked me off to the dining room where a full table of food stood. Everyone took their respective seats around the table and I was placed between Ayame-san and Hatori-sama. Encouraged to grab what I could by everyone else's fighting over various dishes, I grabbed a few gyoza, sushi, and a small bowl of oyako donburi. Yep, my favorite foods, and it had been a long time since I had eaten something straight from a house. Usually all I ate came from the late night chef who made us all dinner after Sanzo Sushi closed down. I crammed an oversized bit of food in my mouth and loved what I tasted.

Before I knew it, heated conversation had broken out and Ayame-san was nudging my thigh. I leaned in closer to him and he asked, "So, what was it like? Gure-san must have been very gentle with you, taking the circumstances into account."

Wow, information did travel fast within this family. "I suppose so, it's all a blur. One minute I was crying and the next minute I was in his room. It was the only familiarity for me at the time, so I clung to it. I woke up the next morning and he was still there, he's a new constant I suppose."

"Familiarity? You mean that wasn't the first time? Miyeko-chan, you do move a bit fast, don't you think? Not that I would have minded either if I was in Gure's position."

Between bites, Hatori-sama said, "I swear, you're worse than Shigure Ayame, she's talking about this house and coming here. I wouldn't doubt if she's as pure as Tohru-kun to put it in terms you would understand."

I blushed a bit and said in an angry tone, "Of course not. It would be impossible anyways."

Ayame-san ran his hand down my face and all the way to the place where my heart would have been if it were outside of me and put a finger on the spot and said, "Non, non Miye-chan. Nothing that the heart desires is impossible and from that blush on your face, I would say that you desire Gure-san's rapt attention. Mon Cherie, there is only one way to Gure-san's heart and bed. Heavens knows that I have used it many a time and it has worked wonders." He winked at me and finished, "It seems our little appointment at my shop is going to be of more importance than I first expected. However, a new look is nothing to be taken lightly."

I stuttered a bit before saying, "What is it with you people and cheeks? Just because I get hot once in a while you shouldn't assume that I have feelings for some people. Anyways, I'm not even going to ask Ayame. I love you and all your quirks, but there's only so much I can take in at a time! I really appreciate the concern, but you just don't understand what it would be like for me to be with Shigure. To actually be with him, it just wouldn't be at all fair to him. It would be like using him as a rebound and I care for all of you way too much to do such things to any of you. It's enough that I go on about my relationship problems with most of you and I just don't want to be a bother which is totally unlike regular me, but I can't mess anything up even more." There I went again venting my emotions.

Hatori cleared his throat and said, "Well, it seems like we're getting somewhere. You fear breaking any more of your life apart so you also fear building new aspects of your life." A fear of breaking and making, I guess it was right, but how could I be so sure? I sat on the couch along with Momiji-chan sitting in my lap, as I separated Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun. If either of them tried to get a go at the other, I simply put my arms and they stopped. They had the same problem with hitting girls as Tatsuya-kun did. Anyways, they had voiced their opinions that any chick that could possibly tolerate Shigure and Ayame had to be mentally challenged. Of course it went against pretty much anybody's policies to bash in the face of some girl one hair away from the loony bin. I said my thank yous and goodbyes as I walked out of the house that was an island of sanity in my drowning sea of madness.

If saying goodbye to one person was merely saying hello to someone new, then maybe it really wasn't meant to be between Tatsuya and I. Maybe I needed a harsh farewell to see what my heart always lusted after-and yes it had to be lust. There was no mutual feeling yet, so it was only lust-but what my eyes simply looked through all the while. Of course I had always said that I liked him, but had I truly liked him before I had lost all hope with Tatsu-kun? Shigure could be everything I wanted and more. Sure he wasn't perfect-few of us are-but our vices are the true test of feeling. If someone is willing to accept you no matter who you are or how you are, then that counts for something and you should never let go. Right?

Maybe he felt the same way about me. I sure hoped that he did. Of course I liked him for everything he was. I even liked him for what he wasn't, but that all ends up being the same in the end, doesn't it? Maybe I just had to let myself plunge off that cliff of doubt and hope someone would be there to catch me when before I hit the ground. Maybe there were too many maybes loaded onto this train of thought. Maybe all the time I spent worrying about the rapidly growing unknown would keep me up all night.


	6. Dedication to Captain Straight to the Po...

Kitone-san: Please go look at the bottom for news and apologies. Also, ask some questions about the story if you're confused or concerned about things because I love to answer questions. Anyway, after a long and unexpected hiatus, here's the update for NFtST. I'm just sorry that it isn't super duper uberly fantastic because it was more of a connector chapter.

...and for those of you who still need this, Disclaimer: Ki-chan doesn't claim to own Fruits Basket and its luffly bishis, although she wished she did. Although if she did, there would be some drastic changes, and I'm sure most of you love your Furuba as it already is. Ja ne until the end of the chapter

0o0o0o0-----------

Never Forget the Simple Things: Dedication to Captain Straight to the Point

It did, and I lazily changed into a white shirt with a picture of a black rose on it and a pair of turquoise pants littered with straps and that sort of thing. Sticking in a pair of earrings made from the eyes of peacock feathers and slipping into a pair of black sandals deemed me ready to visit Ayame-san. It was Wednesday now. Sure my style may have been unconventional, but I liked it and really didn't care if I was bombarded with fashion tips from Ayame. Truthfully, I wasn't excited, but that could and would be easily blamed of my lack of a normal person's sleep. I yawned as I crossed the threshold, which would lead me to the most interesting favor I had been asked.

A woman who was nearly as excitable as Ayame himself greeted me enthusiastically. She wore a French maid costume and I was almost too afraid to ask. No, that's not quite right. I was undeniably too afraid to ask. Ayame emerged from a room in the back of the store holding something in his hands. As he held it out in front of him, obviously scrutinizing his handiwork, he said, "Mine, could you finish this up for me? And when is Miyeko-chan coming?"

Mine laughed a little and said, "Sure Boss. You might want to look up, Takehara-san is already here." She pulled the garment away from Ayame and walked off with a needle in hand.

"Gomen Miye-chan. It seems my head has left me somewhere during all my rushing. It's been very busy, but I couldn't wait to show you what I have for you. It took me longer than I expected, but well, you'll understand I'm sure." I puzzled this for a while and put my purse and jacket down. Then I took a seat while he ran back from whence he came. Browsing the racks closest to me, I found many interesting things for lack of a better word than interesting. He came back out with a rack of clothes. They were all tasteful and slightly more modest than the pieces of the racks.

I wondered why he had a rack and asked, "More customers coming to pick things up, ne?"

"Nope, only you and well, actually there is one more."

As if Ayame had planned this perfectly, Shigure walked in whining, "Aaya, why did I have to come here? It's not that I don't enjoy your company ever so greatly, but I did sense somewhat of a diabolical tone in your voice. Hello Miyeko, but really, as much as I love mischief, I don't like not knowing what I'm in for. Miyeko? What the hell are you doing here? I already don't like where this is headed."

"Nice to see you too. You don't have to sound that disappointed. I'm just as clueless as you are at this point and well, wait and he may tell you what he's up to." I felt like reacting the way that Shigure had, but it just would have been even more awkward if we started sounding alike.

"Well, you see it all started out with making Miyeko-chan an outfit as compensation for the one that you and Hatori threw away. However, I got started and got all these ideas. Then I asked myself, 'Ayame, don 't you think it would just be fabulous if you could put these ideas to use?' Of course I could. I made the clothes, but it took longer than I expected. I didn't have any time to hire models, so I had to think of something fast before Mine and I would be putting on a show by ourselves. I already worked it out with Tohru-kun and my dearest brother."

"Wait, you mean you got Yuki to agree to model as some cross dresser in YOUR show? That must be why he's unusually cranky today and putting more holes in my poor house than usual. And you had the time to organize a whole fashion show, but not hire the models?"

"Hai Gure-san. So I need you and Miyeko to fill in the blanks a bit. I mean I figure Mine, Tohru, Yuki, you, Miye-chan, and myself should be a reasonable amount of models. Besides, I already tailored the clothes to your measurements. Please, I'm begging you as family and as a dear friend."

Me, model? Those weren't two words that should ever be used in the same sentence. Not only was I possibly the clumsiest human being alive, but also I couldn't keep myself from laughing when I was supposed to recite lines from Shakespeare in high school. How was I supposed to be a model? Voicing my opinions I said, "Well, I will only if you promise never ever pull something like this again. It's not like I have anything else going on at this point." I shrugged my shoulders and walked to grab a cigarette. No, I didn't smoke all the time. But ever since I had been exposed to the crazy events that followed pretty much all of the Sohmas, my nerves hadn't completely adjusted. I grabbed a formal looking dress from the rack as Shigure grabbed a suit. Then I said, "Are you sure you got my measurements right? This looks far too long for me."

He looked up at the two of us and said, "You should know me better than that. Anyways, you two grabbed the wrong outfits. Gure, you have Miyeko-chan's and Miyeko-chan has Gure's." Shigure and I both looked crossly at Ayame and switched with each other. "Now go try those on, we can't have anything that isn't properly fitted." He shoved us toward the dressing rooms and I changed. It wasn't too bad for me. Just a plain white shirt and a pair of brown slacks accompanied by suspenders, a sapphire tie, navy high heels, a matching brown jacket, and a hat. I laughed on the inside wondering what Shigure would look like in that dress. No, I was wrong again, I wasn't laughing on the inside, I was fully laughing out loud.

As I stepped out of the room, Ayame clapped and kissed me lightly on the cheek. I folded my arms and tapped my foot as I said, "Now you know what it's like to really need that extra half an hour to dress. I swear, no guy can ever criticize a girl for taking long getting ready when they haven't had to wear a dress. He stumbled out of the room a few minutes later and I couldn't help laughing. There stood an angry Shigure in a beautiful dress. It was very tasteful, I expected no less from Ayame. It was mainly a dark blue, which matched the color of my tie, and had white trimming. The neckline was very modest and was a simple mandarin collar. It was fastened in the back by a set of buttons and opened up to show part of the back. The skirt was long and billowy with white lace near the bottom. On his feet, he wore flat shoes, nothing really special, but they matched and he could walk which was probably Ayame's point in choosing the pair of simple yet elegant shoes. Around his waist, a white sash was tied loosely. All in all, it was something that I may have worn myself if it weren't for the fact that it was measured to fit a man.

Ayame clapped his hands once again and said, "Very nice. It seems that I have little work here which is all the better since there is so many other things I must attend to. Stand next to each other you two. Now, there will be a rehearsal the day before the show, but I need Miye-chan to stay here for now. You may go now Gure, although, you could stay and wait for me to finish with Miyeko. Oops, it wasn't meant to sound that way. Wait, no, it was meant to sound that way." He smiled and brushed my hair out of my face and whispered into my ear, "Pretend to be bashful. I want to see what Shigure will do. Although it is usually Gure and I messing with other people, I want to see if he can deal with it." I laughed as I had been instructed to and even somehow managed to blush.

Shigure looked a little peeved. Maybe it was because he didn't think I was that kind of person to fall so easily to Ayame. Or maybe it was because he cared. No, that couldn't be it seeing as I was the one with feelings for him, not vice versa. Ayame laughed and grabbed the rack, wheeling it into the back room and dragged me along by the arm. "Well, anyways, I have an outfit for you just like the one Shigure will be wearing for the curtain call. You can wear the same shoes. I also have a few other things for you." He trailed off and pulled a few things off of the rack. The first was a white shirt with a red heart on it. The heart had been stabbed and instead of blood spill, light blue tears trickled down what seemed to be a river. If you knew me in the least bit, there wasn't any question as to how that design came to be. Then he handed me a pair of olive colored capris. The bottoms of the legs had drawstrings and a camouflaged studded belt accompanied these pants. It was stunning and I didn't know what to say. I gave him a peck on the cheek and smiled. (A/N: Miye-chan can't obviously hug any of the Sohma men, so she resorts to giving them small kisses. It's not like she's a slut. -.-;)

He put his hands on his hips and laughed triumphantly. Then he patted me on the head and said, "I knew it would suit your tastes. It took me long to send the picture in so I could get something that I could actually put on a t-shirt. Oh and there is one more thing. If you should choose to give this present to Gure-san, we should all hope that he thanks me and worships the ground I walk on. Heavens knows that he should be doing just that anyway. But please use this responsibly and I must tell you, it works wonders to just show what you've got sometimes. However, in Gure's case, it's best to show what you had when you were in school."

After this was said, I was handed a parcel and a few pairs of shoes, the navy high heels, a pair of white, laced boots, and a pair of red stiletto heels. He pushed me out of the room and bid me farewell as I drove out of the parking lot of his shop. When I arrived back at my dorm, I was surprised to see Tatsuya standing outside of my door. I gasped and he looked up to see me. He grabbed a few things that I was carrying and helped me carry them into my dorm. We both sat down on the couch, but he was the first to say anything. "I know you saw me, um, kissing Yumi-ko at the restaurant. That was when you started acting strange. I barely see you anymore and you can never quite meet my eyes when I do happen to see you. We've been friends for a long time and it's hard not to notice these kinds of things. I know I can never explain it to you in a way that won't hurt, but for once, can you not ask questions and just accept things as they are?"

That was a little harsh Captain Straight to the Point, ouch, that surely would leave a mark next morning. It took all that I had to not wince, I seemed to be literally writhing under my skin with unspoken emotion, and I smiled and said, "I haven't asked questions Tatsu-chan and I certainly have no clue what you're talking about. Besides, you've made it clear that you don't like me so there's nothing for me to be sad about. It would be sad if I really did care. You two are my friends and something as stupid as a kiss shouldn't change anything at all. Should it?"

He looked away from me, but then started yelling and punched me in the arm. "Damn you. Stop pretending. You're only hurting yourself. It wasn't just a kiss. It was the fact that nothing will be quite the same between you, Michi, Yumi, and me ever again. If you refuse to feel the emotional pain that is probably opening that void inside you, then you better feel that physical pain that I just caused you and connect the two. I tried liking you, I truly did, so don't try pinning all this on me."

I rubbed my shoulder and winced in pain as a tear slipped down my cheek and fell to the floor with an inaudible plip. Then I giggled and said, "I can't. I've been devouring myself from the inside and there's nothing anyone can do to stop that. Take one last bite Tatsu-chan and there's nothing left but abandoned dreams and forgotten happiness. It was just a kiss. The feelings behind the kiss are what make our relationships with each other different. Thanks for finally treating me as a true friend. You know, every time before today, you could only clench your fists at me. I may be pinning this on you, but I think the last bite should go to someone who can savor it for all it's worth. Please leave now. I'd like to make some phone calls and I have to clean up before Katsuko-chan comes to visit." I pushed him out into the hallway and locked the door with a satisfying click.

Katsu-chan came and so did Michi. I didn't seem any different to them, but I could tell that Michi was keeping a doubtful eye on me. That chapter of my life had been over and I had buried the key as soon as I had locked the door on Tatsuya. We played a few board games and rented a few movies. I made dinner since I was a better cook than Michi. Besides, Katsuko liked to play with Michi. I guess it's because Michi isn't her nagging older sister. Oh wait, her way too laidback sister. We ate dinner and talked about things that were normal. We kept on asking Katsuko-chan if there was a boy at school that she liked, but she just blushed furiously and punched me. If I had taught her anything ever, it had to be the ability to fight. I may not fight when it comes to my emotions, but I had been told that I had a killer right hook. One could never be certain if some punk would get a little too friendly.

It was late and we sent Katsu-chan on her way, but Michi-ko stayed with me and put her hands behind her head. Then she closed her eyes and said, "So, what's up. We haven't had a decent conversation in a while and I can't help but wonder what had the power to shut your trap. Considering you can't even shut up to do your job most of the time, there is something that you're hiding."

I smirked and said, "Why would I be hiding something. You know me, I come right out and tell you when there's something on my mind."

Don't think she was buying into it. "That's bull and you know it Miyeko! Maybe you're usually outspoken, but lately I don't know what's going on with you. You insist on being sheltered and it's really pissing me off. Usually only the normal things piss me off, but now you're adding one hell of an extreme to the load of shit."

I smiled, was that all I could do now, and said, "You can talk to Tatsuya about it. He knows and he actually asked me the same kind of question, go figure."

She slapped me in the face and said, "I don't want to hear it from Tatsuya! I want to hear it from you. Geez, you would think that you would never hide your feelings like some idiot in a manga! This is real life Miyeko, like it or not, everything happens and you just have to deal." (Miyeko/N: . ; Why do I have such violent friends?)

"I just wasn't ready to let go yet. I never thought it could happen, so I'm not even sure it did happen. Tatsuya-kun is like a brother to me, but he wasn't until I finally realized that he wouldn't ever regret rejecting me from the start. I know it sounds stupid and it probably is, but everything just doesn't make sense anymore. I'm hiding from you and grabbing on to people I barely know, like Shigure. I don't know why I do this, but I can't tell you that I regret doing it. They helped me understand myself because they could openly comment on me without comparing me to what I was in the past. You know that you'll always be my best friend and I will and never could replace you. Be mad at me because I do deserve it for not telling you, but don't be mad at anyone else especially yourself." My eyes were blank and I stood up to get a tissue.

Mi-chan sat there probably thinking about I had just said and wondering how I could look so empty. It wasn't a very difficult question to answer. You can beat even the sweetest dog into bitter hatred. Not that I was bitter or all that sweet to begin with, but it's the concept that matters. I bit my lip then she said, "Can I stay here tonight? I think we have to talk more. I'm not promising I'll understand everything Sam, but I want to try to understand."

I smiled and sat back down on the couch. There wasn't that much to discuss, but it was probably best for her to stay considering how late it was. She spread a mat out on the ground and I walked into my room as quietly as possible. Coffee amazingly always seemed to have a reverse effect on Michi. She had fallen asleep only half an hour after I had poured her a cup. I was set for the night. I would be up for a long time and it would be all the better. If I fell asleep, I would dream of memories that I would rather let die away. Even though it went against my regular beliefs of never forgetting the simple things in life, maybe there were some things best left untouched. Maybe I wouldn't allow myself to forget them completely, but instead leave them in boxes labeled heartbreak and carry them into the dusty doom that was an attic. Eventually I fell asleep, but I hadn't kept track of the time.

Surprisingly I wasn't sleepy, even considering how little rest I had managed to attain. It worked that way; either I slept enough, too little, or way too little which would miraculously render me even more alert in the morning. It was time to go to work. Boy, would I be in for a monstrous earache. I had skipped out on going to work for a couple of days. It would probably result in a minimal pay cut as it usually did, but I still never liked to be lectured. That would take me back to the days of a supremely boring math class in which Michi and I would spend time making up stupid jokes that didn't make sense to anyone else. Preparing myself for this talk, I changed into my uniform and decided to leave for work early.

A loud screech of burning rubber announced my presence and I walked directly to the back office and sat down in front of my boss. Before he could say anything, I gave my reasons, "Sorry that I haven't been in for work for the past two days. It's just that my grandmother had to be rushed into the hospital. They thought that she was starting to develop a cataract and it's been so hectic that I haven't been able to call anyone. Thankfully she's okay and only needs a little bit of medicine, but it was lucky that we caught it so early." It was total and complete bull, but that was fine as long as I made it sound like my grandmother was okay. It's the best way to get someone off your back. Say that there was a tragedy in the family and then deem the person fine to make sure fewer questions would have to be answered.

Just as suspected, I received a long sigh and a few weary looks. Then a grin found its way to his face and he said, "It's fine Takehara-san, but please do try to contact someone like Asano-san, Kotara-san, or Higoshi-san if you are going to be gone for a while." It made me feel a little mean since my boss was such a kind and relenting man. He was like an uncle, but on the same token, he could be played so easily. I bowed quickly and walked out of the room with my arms behind my head and found myself face to face with Mi-chan, Yumi-ko, and Tatsu-chan. I smiled and cocked my head to the side.

Then I said, "Sorry for leaving you guys to pick up my slack. There were just a lot of things I had to do and figure out I guess is the best way I can put it." Tatsuya-kun rolled his eyes and walked off in disbelief. It's okay if he thought I was still pretending because in some ways I was. Of course I was pretending that there wasn't something that big going on with Shigure and I which mostly meant the magnitude of my own feelings for him. Everything else was normal me, or as best as I could be. Still I couldn't help looking confused wondering why Tatsu-kun seemed to think that I wasn't being myself. Maybe it was because I had come out and finally talked about what had truly happened to how I felt about our friendly situations. I just hoped that he would figure out that I wasn't pretending and that I just wanted everything to be the same as it had been. That night was a busy one and when the last customers left, I flopped down pathetically down on a chair.

We ate dinner together as usual and left into the pleasantly warm air that calmed the lungs each time you inhaled the sweet heat. I smiled, and for the first time in quite a while, I felt like everything might be okay. A visit to the park was alluring and apparently so alluring that I actually did walk over to the nearest park. I sat on a bench and watched the sun fade under the cover of a relatively large mountain. An orange blanket draped the tops of each peak and left little light on me. Someone walked up from behind me and put their hands on my shoulders. They were strong and a wave of panic seemed to make its way through each nerve in my body and caused me to whip around.

Instead of the face of the thug that I did expect sat the warm brown eyes of the one that I liked so much. I caught my breath then watched him come around to sit next to me. The sleeves of a white shirt were rolled up to his elbows and he wore black slacks along with a tie that hung loosely around his neck. He averted his gaze to the red sky and I looked up at him. Why did he have to be so handsome? This had been the cause of my last accident and quite frankly I didn't really want a repeat of the whole incident. I walked towards a tree and leaned against it. This hadn't detoured him and he followed me and said, "Very interesting how deceitful you can be Miyeko. I never thought you would be so underhanded."

I whipped my head around and said, "What are you talking about? I never lied to you. At least I don't remember ever lying to you."

He laughed and replied, "At work you crazy. You told your boss that you were seeing your grandmother when in truth you've been visiting yours truly."

I guess that's why Tatsuya seemed to look like he was in disbelief. Shigure must have been listening through the door. "Why were you there? Why are you here? Are you a stalker? I can defend myself you know." I clenched my fists and drew them back.

He pushed my tensed fists down and said, "Don't worry, you know you can be a little too assuming sometimes. Remember when I said that I crave to find subjects for my stories? Well, after carefully sorting through many possible characters, I have selected one Takehara Miyeko."

There wasn't much to say to that. There was the 'what the hell are you talking about' approach and the 'you are only too kind' approach. Nope, nothing seemed to sound just right so I just looked at him with a blank sort of expression. My mouth was open and he took this chance to kiss me. Even though it had been the second time, it didn't seem to be any more predictable. He put his arms around my waste and I put mine right behind his neck. It was hungry as if it expressed how much I had wanted to kiss him for the longest time. Hungry wasn't the word for it. It sounded too crude; I guess it just carried my passion. That was a better way to explain it, but it still wasn't exactly what I meant.

We broke away and I looked at the ground. My face burned a brilliant crimson and I said, "Have you ever been told never to mix business with pleasure? It doesn't seem like you have, but if it's any consolation, that was nice."

He brushed his hand against my cheek and said with a smile, "Who ever said it was pleasure? Don't look at me that way, it was sweet, but I don't really believe in that saying Miye-chan. I love how I can make you seem so surprised and get the best of you." Was there anything else to do but smile at him and run my fingers through his hair? It didn't seem that way. Maybe it was love now, but was I hurrying into things? I started to walk away or rather skip, swinging my bag and coat behind me. "What are you doing Miyeko?" Who was the surprised one now?

"I can't leave my car again. You always seem to make me forget what I'm doing and I'm surprised that I still have my car now. Now don't get any ideas about distracting me because then you can just forget about Ayame's gift." Why shouldn't I tempt him? Heavens knows that he's been tempting me for too long.

He grabbed me and said, "Oh, a gift now? You've got my attention and there's no way you could dissuade me now that I've got my sights set on you." He put his finger on my nose and I blinked a few times.

"What was I saying again? I swear it was something really important and if I don't remember I'll probably regret doing whatever I do instead of doing what I was supposed to do." I rubbed the back of my head nervously and followed Shigure.

We drove away towards his house and he helped me out of the car. "The kids are gone tonight and it seems that Ayame is swamped with some left over work on the show." He went to get a couple of glasses of soda and said, "No repeats of your little beer incident. Although the trickery was a nice touch, I would rather that you kiss me without having to have an excuse."

I traced a finger down his chest and said, "Trickery? Sir, I am appalled at your outrageous accusations. An upstanding lady such as myself would never do something so underhanded or be caught with a scallywag such as yourself. How could you suspect me of such things? Besides, the whole male reassurance idea isn't one that I've ever been too keen on. I mean, just because I may have not been thinking straight that time, doesn't mean that I didn't do something for a reason. Oh, so that's what you think of me. Well, heh, you've got another thing coming buster if you think that you can get me into a bed and off of it in a day just to have your little thrills." Flirting? Never been one of my fortes, but that's why Michi-ko always got the guys and tried to force me to at least try to get my guy.

You want to learn more about Mi-chan? Well, I can assure you, it isn't the wholesome tale that you'd like to relate to your family members. I'm assuming your family members appreciate wholesomeness, but for all cases and purposes, you should just keep what I'm about to tell you a secret. Ugh! I'm painting a picture of some loose cannon girl who's out to scam any good looking guy who knows what it means to get "intimate" and can pay a good price. Sure Michi-ko isn't my idea of the most, could you call it acceptable, people in the world, but she's my friend. Anyway, now that I'm finished with that, we can actually talk about something with meaning. As one of my teachers in America would have said, "Let's get too the meat an' pataters of the lesson!" Of course not all Americans talk in that manner, but, well now I'm getting off topic again.

Currently Michi-chan is tied to the most gorgeous thing that walked the earth! No my friends who are attached to the computer, it's not a beautifully composed fanfiction. (A/N: -snicker, snicker- Sorry everyone, I really couldn't help myself. I'll try to behave myself, but right now I'm thoroughly tweaked. That's why I actually had the idea of working on NFtST again; all because I got in a huge fight with my sister over the phone. Sometimes I just can't stand her. It's a good thing that I don't live with her anymore. I'm not sure what I'd do if I did.) What? Of course I did think that Shigure was certainly nothing to scoff at, but Mi-chan had a certain knack for getting the guy. His name is Iwasa Chikao if I remember correctly (A/N: If any of you decide to check out Table for Two, my online comic, then just remember that it's hard to write so much. It helps one to use some names over again without having to think up new ones!). It's been such a long time since I've seen him; I guess I've been too busy with my own problems, but yes, Mi-chan seems to be satisfied for a little while. Confused? Let me tell you, while it's beyond Michi-ko to flirt with anything that moves, she surely has no problem going in for the kill; I suppose you could compare her to a lioness? A statement and a question all in itself, shimatta, I do hate referring to Mi-chan as an animal, but it really does no good to compare one's best friend to an inanimate object when that same friend is always vigilantly lurking in your conscience and making little comments on whatever you do. Sure it's a bit disturbing, but I couldn't get my point across about Mi-chan if I didn't tell you such things.

Let me clarify a few things. Mi-chan is that oh-so-special kind of person who can come up to you and bluntly comment on how stupid whatever you said happened to be. Oh, I say this with the utmost respect, but the idea is that that's just one of the facets on the prismatic diamond of Mi-chsanism. She's the best friend that I could ever have and I really couldn't tell you anything else. It's hard to really tell you what I mean to tell you, but whatever, this will have to suffice. Now back to the story at hand I suppose…

I started to walk away and found myself caught at the wrist by the warm grip that I so wanted. But life likes to dance around you and stick its tongue out making a mockery of you. Yeah, well life's a bitch and it was time for that bitch to get a swift, yet stealthy kick to the posterior. At that point I would saunter away leisurely and resume whistling as I fiddled with my fingers behind my back. Yes, it was time to go on the offense and teach life that I can be impulsive in a good way.

0o0o0o0----------

Author's Ending Note: Gomen! I know it's been so long since I've updated, but with getting my REAL, OWN story off on the right foot, I had to abandon NFtST for a while. Also, I'm really trying to get my Wish fic up and on its way. I should be off to working on that after I post this chapter of NFtST. I hope you guys like the Wish fic. It's a bit OOC, but I do like the fact that it gets to be a bit more angsty. Not too angsty mind you, but just enough to let me get out bad feelings I suppose. Well, I hope this chapter was well worth the wait, but again I think it was shortchanged and was just like another connector chapter. Next chapter we should be getting into the actual fun I hope. I'm planning on Ayame's show being next chapter at least…we'll have to see.


End file.
